


our blood runs different

by wizardinblack



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Blowjobs, Eventual Romance, M/M, iruka is...not lmao, kakashi is shy and awkward, lol this counts as a bookstore meet cute i suppose??
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:53:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 26,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27637798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wizardinblack/pseuds/wizardinblack
Summary: Kakashi and Iruka both have a secret, but they’re not as different as they think they are.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka, mentions of past kakashi/obito
Comments: 27
Kudos: 120





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I wanted to write this for Halloween but I'm slow! So here it is in the middle of November. I hope you guys will enjoy it anyway. Also, it's a little different than how I usually approach my fics so please bear with me. I want to thank ladyxxdaydream on tumblr for beta reading and offering much needed feed back. Go read her fics too!
> 
> Just as a note, this is set in the late 80's early 90s, if you're wondering why there is no mention of cellphones, and also I wanted their style to kinda of match the goth/grunge scene of that time. Please picture the 1987 movie The Lost Boys for reference!

For the second time two weeks in a row, Kakashi finds himself standing outside a tiny storefront window located in a tiny town he should have left days ago.

The thing is, he shouldn't be here. Well, he's not  _ supposed  _ to be here at least. He's supposed to just be passing through - not seen, not heard, just a quick in and out without drawing any attention to himself, without making himself  _ known _ \- but somehow, here he is, again.

"Stay here," he says, making a loose knot with the leash attached to his pug companion around a bike post. The dog looks up at him with tired eyes, and it’s almost like he can sense the animal's exasperation through his gaze. He rolls his eyes before adding, "l'll be quick. Promise."

Stepping inside, the store is just as dark as he remembers - with deep red painted walls, and dark velvet drapes covering the windows, blocking out any light from the outside. Odd, for a bookstore, but strangely charming at the same time. The soft yellow lights from the dimly lit lamps and flickering candles scattered throughout encase the room in a whimsical glow - making him feel like he could be curled up by a fire with one of the many books packed on the shelves cracked open; a place where he could read and read and read for hours on end. It feels like entering a dream.

Kakashi has visited many bookstores in his lifetime, but this one is different. This one  _ feels _ different. It’s the first time he feels  _ comfort _ in a place that is not his own. In a place that is not hidden deep in the woods, away from the rest of the world. He couldn't stop himself from returning, even with his gut instinct telling him  _ he shouldn't be here, _ because he knows better than to return to the same place twice. 

He glides a hand down a shelf as he walks further into the shop, lazily eyeing the spines of the aged books on display. There’s a thin layer of dust that disburses beneath his fingers, and it's a shame to think this gem he has found doesn't seem to be very popular in this little town - if the cobwebs are of any indication.

His eyes track the gold reflective lettering etched within the spine of a hard copy of  _ Dracula _ , before a dark shadow catches his attention in the corner of his eye. He shifts his head, meeting face to face with a black cat now on the shelf beside his hand, paws delicately and softly balancing its body on the thin ledge.

_ "Meow." _

Kakashi lets out an uneasy breath. Cats don't usually like him.

"Hello...cat," he says slowly, feeling as if its eyes are looking right into his soul. Like they can see, like they know. They probably do.

"Hello, Human." 

_ Human. _

Kakashi jerks in surprise - the sudden sound of the smooth voice startling him - and turns his attention to the man who has seemingly magically appeared out of nowhere just beside him. 

His heart flutters, recognizing the shop owner he purchased his last stack of books from. The very  _ attractive _ shop owner.

The man picks the cat up off the shelf, and cradles her to his chest while a sly smile spreads across his lips. "Back so soon?"

Kakashi smiles back, swallowing his nerves. It's been a long time since he felt this way, and he isn't even entirely sure what it is that he’s feeling. The man is good looking for sure - Kakashi's height, broad shoulders with a thin waist, tan skin, dark hair and dark eyes to match, alluring, beautiful, almost feminine but  _ not _ \- but there is something else, something Kakashi can't quite figure out. Just the fact he was able to sneak up on Kakashi is compelling - freaky actually - because Kakashi has a sense of smell better than any dog. It should be next to impossible to surprise him, but this man appeared right beside him without alerting his senses at all. Kakashi still can't figure it out. He smells...different. Faint. Like it’s hardly there at all. Like  _ he’s _ hardly there at all. Like the blood inside his body is still, unmoving,  _ cold. _

So, _ yeah, _ maybe it wasn't just the shop that brought him back.

"I'm a fast reader." Kakashi says, trying to seem as neutral as possible despite the flutters in his stomach.

"All five?" The man asks, sharp eyebrow raising in question. His dark eyes glint with a mysterious playfulness, like he can see right through Kakashi's act, the corner of his lip raising in a smirk. On his face also rests a scar that runs across his cheek bones and over the bridge of his nose. It's faded with age, but still prominent, mirroring Kakashi's own that slices through his eye. It makes him that much more interesting to him.

Kakashi's smile spreads. "Yup. Need to re-up. Any recommendations?"

It's only partially an act though, because Kakashi  _ is _ a fast reader, especially considering it has been his only hobby for most of his life. When he isn't busy traveling and finding a new place to rest at, he's reading. He reads so much that any town he passes, he makes sure to find a bookstore, buying anything and everything - packing piles of books into his bags and carrying them on his back until they get too worn and torn from reading and rereading.

"Hm, I think I could find something you might like," the shop owner answers, stroking the cat’s ears and turning on his heel. Kakashi follows, eyes trailing down the body of the man in front of him against his will.

He's clad in all black. A loose black shirt drapes over his torso with large holes where the sleeves should be - like maybe at one point it was a t-shirt but the sleeves have been cut off - exposing his sides and showing off his toned body. From what Kakashi can see of his lats and pectorals peeking out, they match his muscular arms, and it's more than enough for Kakashi to know he is fucking  _ fine _ beneath the thin material. The makeshift tank is tucked into black jeans, and a thick leather belt accentuates his waist - black with metal O rings strung throughout. Just below that, his ass steals the fucking show, sitting atop thick thighs that look amazing in the tight dark denim. His combat boots hit mid-shin; they look worn with age, making no sound as he leads Kakashi down a new row of bookshelves.

The man tilts his head to eye some book titles, and Kakashi watches intently as his long hair shifts with the movement. It hits just beneath his shoulder blades, and a portion is pulled up into a messy little bun at the back of his head. He tucks a strand behind his ear, and Kakashi notes the many silver studs and hoops decorating the lobe. His wrist is also adorned with several thin black bracelets, and they slide down his arm as he moves - dropping his hand to give the cat one last pat before allowing him to jump to the floor.

Kakashi breaks his eyes away only to watch the animal land gracefully and putter off between the bookshelves. When he looks back, the man is facing him again, that sly smile still on his lips, and a book in hand.

"This may be up your alley," he says, flashing the cover.

The cover shows a woman in a Victorian dress, standing in front of a window that overlooks a cliff's edge, gazing out to sea.

_ "Captain's Call,"  _ Kakashi says without hesitation, accompanied by a lazy shrug. "Read it. Not the best."

The man's eyes widen with amusement. If he was testing Kakashi to see if he bought those last five romance novels as a joke, then he's got another thing coming - because no way did Kakashi stock up on them just for shits and giggles - it happens to genuinely be his favorite type of novel to read. There's just something about the overly flowery writing and cheesy love scenes that provide him with a sense of comfort he can't get anywhere else. 

"Hm. I should have known." The shop owner places the book back, and then trails his finger down a few spines before pulling out a different one. He hands it to Kakashi without waiting for approval. "You look like someone with more of an adventurous edge."

Kakashi takes the book blindly as it's pressed into his chest, keeping his eyes locked on the man in front of him, feeling himself flush at the words for some reason.

When he looks down, he takes in the cover. It's a dark night scene with forest trees framing the borders. A full moon illuminates the cloudy sky, and a large black wolf sits in the foreground. Kakashi blinks. The title reads  _ A Bite of Desire,  _ and when he flips it over, the back has an image of a woman running through the woods with long blonde hair. The summary reads,  _ She knew he was a monster...but that didn't stop her hunger for him...only problem is...is his own hunger stronger than her love? The hunger for human flesh that is... _

"This is…" he trails off, not even wanting to say it outloud. Surely, it's just a coincidence...

"What?" The man chuckles softly, pulling Kakashi's attention back to him once more. "Not into fantasy?"

Kakashi picks his eyes up, and swallows roughly, nervous under the attractive man's gaze.  _ This isn't a fantasy for him. _ His stomach turns.

"Well, no, I mean, uh yeah I am," he tries to laugh it off, feeling stupid as he does - combating his desire to impress with his instinct to  _ run.  _ "I mean, uh, werewolves though? Really?"

The man raises a brow again, and Kakashi tries to stop his stupid body from over heating. The dark eyes pierce right through him, like he can fucking  _ tell. _ Kakashi swallows hard again, running his thumb along the pages of the book.

No, Kakashi is only imagining things. He's just paranoid... _ right? _

The man shrugs, starting to walk off towards the back of the shop where the register is. He calls back over his shoulder - voice teasing. "What better way to spice things up than with a little bit of danger?"

Kakashi pauses - the words taking a minute to catch up to him - before quickly following, book in hand. He places it on the counter, and clears his throat, trying to match his tone when he speaks next - to keep the air light hearted despite his anxiety. He's sure it's nothing, anyway. "Who says I need help with that?"

The man's fingers on the register still as he looks at Kakashi skeptically. "Yeah, because someone who reads through five erotic novels in seven days must be getting a lot of action."

That makes Kakashi grin. "Ok, you got me."

He smiles back, taking the book off the counter and placing it in a bag. Kakashi pulls out some cash.

"You're not from here, right?" The shop owner asks, taking the money. "Should I expand my romance section or are you just visiting?"

Kakashi hesitates. He's supposed to just be passing through, but…

"You may wanna up your inventory," he answers after a moment. "I mean, if you want more of my money."

"If that means you'll be stopping in more, then sure." The other man says, voice soft and easy. Once again Kakashi finds himself enthralled by this mystery man - the dark deep browns of his eyes, the delicate contours of his nose and jaw, the soft glow of the yellow light reflecting off his tan skin, the wave of his hair cascading over his shoulder…. _ Wait  _ what did he say again? Oh.  _ Oh.  _ Is he flirting? He scrambles to get his brain back on track. His heart slams in his chest.  _ Shit, say something. _

"What's your name?" Kakashi blurts without thinking. 

"Iruka," the man answers, his smile growing. "And you?"

"Kakashi."

The man, no,  _ Iruka, _ hands him his bag. "Well. See you around, Kakashi."

_ Iruka. _   
  


* * *

When the door to his shop creaks open the following week, Iruka already knows who to expect.

He doesn't get a lot of patrons, not anymore, not after being at this location for years and years. At first, yeah, a few people here and there, bookstores aren't super popular anyway, but now - next to nothing.

It's ok. He supposes he has a certain reputation in this little town that seems to keep people away, but that doesn't bother him. It's easier, anyway.

This man though - Kakashi - doesn't seem to want to stay away; this is his third visit three weeks in a row.

Iruka smiles to himself, straightening his back from where he’s leaning against the counter, aimlessly laying out a spread of cards, and watches as the man makes a show of pretending to look at books, before giving up and heading right in his direction. It's funny, how obvious he is.

"I'm sorry to say I haven't gotten my new order of romance in yet," Iruka says as a way of greeting. 

Kakashi approaches the counter with a comical pout. "Oh no. Whatever will I do?"

Iruka absentmindedly picks up his cards off the counter, collecting them in his hands. He keeps his eyes on the other man as he does, not humored by his sarcastic drawl, and sends him a playful leer. "You could try getting your romance fix from somewhere else."

_ Somewhere else meaning me, _ Iruka thinks to himself, and watches with glee as the pout falls off the other man's face and is replaced with a light flush.

Kakashi dips his head with a small laugh. "Yeah, I guess I could." 

Iruka smiles.  _ He's cute. _ Oblivious, but cute. Iruka kinda likes that. He's different then his usual prospects. For one thing, they usually don't show up in his shop, so that alone is a pleasant surprise. Iruka is used to having to seek them out in bars and nightclubs, so it's a nice change, and a welcomed opportunity, to have his prey walk right up to his doorstep. It feels like a gift, delivered in a nice little package just for him.

And  _ damn _ , the package is nice - with wild grey hair and a handsome face. He's got a thick frame that stands as tall as Iruka, but wider, denser, noticeable even under his loose fitting t-shirt and leather jacket. He has a red flannel tied around his waist holding up old torn blue jeans, and the boots on his feet are caked in mud. Most compelling though, is the scar on his face - splitting his left eye directly in half. Beneath his lower lip sits a mole that is strikingly cute in contrast to the scarred skin just above it. Iruka can't wait to see if he tastes as good as he looks.

Kakashi awkwardly clears his throat before speaking again. "Well, uh, you didn't really have to do that, change your inventory I mean. I do read other things. I swear."

"I always keep my word," Iruka answers, not hiding the way he looks the other man over.

Other than his looks though, there's something else about him...something Iruka can't quite place. He's more than just  _ different. _ There is an air about him that clouds the space in a fog Iruka can't see clearly through. Most men are easy, transparent, and Iruka has no problem enticing them - pinning them down for a good fuck, and drinking his fill before never seeing them again - but for once his vision seems less than crystal.

Either he's  _ finally _ getting old and losing his touch or...

In his hands, he lazily shuffles his cards, the action coming as second nature at this point. He hardly even realizes he's doing it until Kakashi's eyes fall down to watch.

"Playing cards?" He asks, tilting his head in interest.

Iruka stills his movements, and then flips the deck in his hand to display them to the other man. 

"Tarot."

"Tarot?" Kakashi repeats.

Iruka goes back to shuffling. "Are you familiar?"

Kakashi shakes his head. "Can't say that I am."

"No?" Iruka smirks, and after a final shuffle, places the deck face down on the counter. "How 'bout I show you then? Split."

Kakashi's eye flick between the cards and Iruka's face. Iruka watches him closely as he thinks.

He leans forward on the counter, getting further into Kakashi's space, as much as he can with the surface between them, and drops his voice low - teasing, playful. "C'mon. You're not afraid of what I'll see, are you?"

Kakashi locks his eyes then, but there is no playfulness there in return. Instead, he stares at him deep, and it's almost  _ alarming _ how abrupt it is, the surprising out-of-place intensity of it. His eyes look right through him - one dark, the other light, the pigment missing from the apparent trauma it's suffered - like he's waiting for something, like he's searching for something, like he can find it in Iruka...

For a brief moment, Iruka feels a spike of  _ defense  _ shoot down his spine, but he isn't sure why. Suddenly, it's like he forgets where he is, and he finds himself fighting against his instinct to  _ attack _ \- to fight against the fog which is suddenly too  _ thick, _ and use all his ability to break it, to get the upper hand again, and insure that he is  _ hunter  _ and not  _ prey  _ \- but he forces it down, reels himself back in to reality, reminds himself that he's not at some bar, or some nightclub, or out on the street. He's at his shop, in his home that he actually likes, and he doesn't feed in his home. The clean up is far too much of a pain for that.

It's a rush of a feeling, but just as quickly as it appears - it's gone. The second Kakashi looks away, the fog lifts. Iruka blinks it away, feeling confused.  _ What just happened? No way this guy caused that, did he? _

Kakashi looks to the deck, and then decidedly splits it in two, before combining it back together again.

When he meets Iruka's eyes again, it's like the spell is broken. Once more he is staring at nothing but the somewhat odd handsome stranger, with a calm face and lazy eyes - the intensity slipped right from his gaze. The threat is gone so quickly that Iruka almost feels like he imagined it.

"Alright. Show me." Kakashi says, sliding the deck back towards Iruka.

Iruka gathers himself, shifting back into a light hearted tone, trying to act as if everything is normal. 

"See," he says, throwing Kakashi another toying grin, and hoping it doesn't look forced. "I knew you had an adventurous side."

"Did the cards tell you that?" Kakashi says jokingly. 

"Some things I don't need the cards to tell me," Iruka answers, used to the skepticism, and picks up his cards. 

"Hm," Kakashi hums. "I'm sorry to say you might be mistaken."

"Oh?" Iruka raises a brow. "You're not adventurous then?"

Kakashi shakes his head, and he's got a nice smile too. Nice teeth. Unusually sharp canines for a human. Not massive or anything, but noticeable enough to Iruka, who admittedly is a bit of an expert on the subject, so he can't help but spot them.

"Nope. Pretty boring actually," Kakashi says. "You said so yourself - reading five novels in a week type of boring."

Iruka nods at the tongue-and-cheek admission, and looks up from the cards through his eyelashes - mischievous. "Perhaps it just needs to be coaxed out of you."

Kakashi hesitates as his face falls, and the adorable treacherous blush returns to his cheeks. Iruka almost thinks he won't respond, but after a brief second he does - voice tentative. "Perhaps."

Iruka smiles again, feeling a surge of satisfaction, and it's enough for him to forget whatever weirdness he was picking up on earlier. Surely, he is getting slow in his old age, to get distracted over nothing. This man is cute; Iruka will play with him like he has with all the other men in the past. He will get him trapped in his web, use him, and lose him. 

_ Time to kick this into high gear, _ Iruka thinks. This 'oblivious' act this guy is pulling is starting to get tiring anyway. Iruka is impatient, and wants to  _ eat.  _ All he has to do is get him to meet him somewhere, tonight maybe, maybe at that bar not too far from town. Iruka feels a rush of excitement at the thought.

But first - maybe he can have a little more fun...

He focuses back on the cards, putting all his energy into them, and closes his eyes as he shuffles one last time. 

_ What can you tell me about this man? What can you tell me about Kakashi? _

They say nothing as Iruka finishes, and he places the deck to the side before pulling cards from the top. He lays them face down in the pattern of a cross, some vertical, some horizontal. Kakashi's watches intently.

"You're not gonna like, tell me how I'm gonna die or something, right?" He asks after a moment.

Iruka laughs. "No, I can't see anything like that."

He flips over the first card.  _ The Hermit. _

"Tarot is just a way to inform, to offer insight, to help guide." He further explains. "It's not like how they make it out in movies."

He flips the next card. 

_ Five of Wands. _

"Well that's good cause I don't know if I could handle that," Kakashi keeps talking as Iruka continues. "Although, it would be good to prepare. I could leave out extra food for the dogs. They'd probably eat it all at once though…"

Iruka listens to his rambles with mild amusement. He's about to state his preference for cats, when he flips the next card.

_ The Tower.  _ Iruka furrows his brow.

He picks up his eyes to look at the man on the other side of the counter. Kakashi bites at his lip absentmindedly.

"Is that bad?" He asks once he catches Iruka's quizzical gaze.

Iruka shakes his head, and flips the next.  _ Three of Swords. _

He quickly moves on, only to reveal  _ Five of Cups.  _ Iruka takes a deep breath inward.

This is not what he was expecting. He was expecting a basic spread, maybe something about how he's new in town, something boring about work or finances, or if he was lucky, something shining on his lack of romance that Iruka could use to his advantage, but no...this is serious. It has been a long time since Iruka has seen this much  _ pain _ in a spread. He keeps going.

_ Eight of Cups. _

"You're leaving something behind," he says out loud before he can even stop himself.  _ Or...he's running. _

Kakashi shrugs. "I mean. Doesn't everyone leave something behind at one point or another?"

Iruka eyes him curiously.  _ No, not running. Hiding. _

_ Nine of Swords. _

Something is off...there is no light in this spread at all. No happiness, no cheer, no family, no strength. It is dark and lonely, almost like he was born into conflict and has been running ever since. Iruka has never seen such straightforward suffering before. 

This man has experienced a lot of anguish. Iruka suddenly feels cold.

_ Two of Wands. _

And finally,

_ Death. _

"Hey," Kakashi speaks up. "You said you can't see death."

"That's not what that means," Iruka says quickly without a thought. He stares down at the spread, taking in all the cards and mapping them out in his mind.

Kakashi leans against the surface of the counter, craning his neck to try and look at the cards upright. "So, what's it mean then?"

Iruka sends him a quick glance, before quickly gathering the cards. He clears his throat. "You've been through a lot of heartache."

"Oh." Kakashi stands up straight. 

"Yeah," Iruka agrees.  _ Oh. _ He tidies the cards up, and places them back into their box, deciding to end this. He feels uncomfortable now, like he's seen too much and not enough at the same time. "But a choice is coming. Should you make the right one, new life will be birthed from it."

"A new life?" Kakashi asks thoughtfully.

Iruka meets his eyes, and with pursed lips he nods. "It's a good thing, don't worry."

He doesn't believe his own words, but he feels he has to say them anyway.

"I'm not really good with kids," Kakashi answers. He says it like a joke, but his face is blank, like he doesn't believe Iruka either.

Iruka waves his hand at him with a light chuckle. "Not that type of new life."

"Ok. Well good." Kakashi laughs nervously. The air in the room is thick, and Iruka isn't sure what to make of it all. 

After a moment of uneasy silence, the man gestures to the boxed deck still in Iruka's hands. "Do you sell those?"

Iruka looks down at the old used deck. He has a few he keeps behind the counter. 

"Here," Iruka holds it out to him. "Take this one. On the house."

Kakashi pauses. "Are you sure? I can pay-"

Iruka shoves the deck further towards Kakashi with a rough shake of his head. "No, it's yours. Thank you for humoring me."

Kakashi takes it from his hand gingerly, and stares down at it like it's a foreign object. "No, thank you. It was, uh, interesting stuff."

Iruka averts his eyes, before clearing his throat once more. "You know, you can just stop in. If you want. You don't need to, like, buy something. It's ok."

He feels silly, making such an invitation, which is comical considering he's used to just asking men to fuck him right out the gate, but this guy is different. He seems reluctant to Iruka's flirting,  _ shy _ maybe, or maybe something else. Iruka isn't sure, but the desire he felt to bait this man into being a quick dinner is gone, and now he feels like he needs to wait it out - just a little longer before taking his fill. There's something he's missing, and for the first time in his life, he wants to find out more.

The smile returns to Kakashi's face, and with it some of the tension dissipates. "You don't believe I can read that fast still, do you?"

Iruka laughs at that. "I'm a little skeptical, yes."

"I can," Kakashi says adamantly, and then ducks his head, playing with the box in his hands distractedly. "I appreciate it though. Thank you again. I'll be back."

Iruka nods. "I look forward to it."

After some more awkward shuffling, Kakashi shows himself out, leaving Iruka alone in the empty shop, feeling an odd sense of apprehension in his chest.


	2. Chapter 2

In the old abandoned cabin, Kakashi lays sprawled out in front of the fireplace, book in hand, and a pack of hounds curled into each of his sides. Pakkun sits on his chest, and he holds his book over his head to read.

"Can you believe this shit?" He mumbles out loud. "Listen to this, _she stroked his feral desire, his animalistic blood lust seeping out of him. She welcomed his teeth into her flesh, drinking, devouring, the fear she felt only fueling the fire in her loins more as she felt his colossal c-"_

Pakkun grumbles against his chest.

"Sorry," he stops reading and pats the dog's head in apology. "They really think it's like this though? Everything is about blood and violence like we're all monsters or something…"

He tosses the book to the side, unable to look at it any longer, and stares blankly at the ceiling.

It's been so long since Kakashi has interacted with other humans for more time than necessary, and this is precisely the reason. He knows how they view his kind, and it's dangerous for him to get too close. More dangerous for him, than them. _Ironic, isn't it?_

It's never bothered him really. He doesn't mind being alone. After the death of his father, he became the last of his clan - cast out by other packs, and forced to live on his own. Loneliness isn't a stranger to him, and it's been so long that he doesn't miss the feel of another, because, well, he doesn't _remember_ it enough to miss it.

Pakkun shifts against his chest once more, a grumpy pout on his face. Kakashi soothes a hand over his ears. "I know, pal, sorry. At least I always got you guys."

He made his own pack, fellow outsiders cast out by their own as he was. Hounds, not werewolves like him, but alienated in their own right. It's the closest thing he's had to family since...since…

_"You're leaving something behind."_

He sits up, suddenly agitated. Pakkun grunts as he's displaced, and the other dogs lounging by his sides huff and grumble at his movement. He wipes a hand over his face, and then looks around the room, taking in the dark wood cabin walls and old dingy furniture.

They shouldn't stay here much longer. The life of a werewolf has always been nothing but _run, hunt, hide, run,_ over and over. To become too comfortable in one spot is dangerous, because the second the local townsfolk catch on, they will make it their mission to hunt you down.

Kakashi knows this, and never stays anywhere longer than a few days at a time, only passing into towns for supplies before moving onto the next, and yet…

He can't seem to make himself leave this place. 

Shiba picks his head up, and sends a lazy glare across the pack to Pakkun, who rolls his eyes in response. Biscuit snorts, and Bull lets out a disgruntled gruff. 

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Kakashi drawls, annoyed by their apparent judgement, and pulls himself up to stand. They know it isn't like Kakashi to drag his feet. It doesn't help that Pakkun is a bit of a gossip too.

He walks over to the small kitchenette, and prepares himself a fresh cup of coffee. It's still early in the day, and he just got finished hunting, before taking a rest to read and warm himself up by the fire. It's late autumn, and beginning to get cold. This cottage isn't equipped for the winter months - and unless Kakashi wants to spend all his time in his wolf form to keep warm - he really should get moving, head west, where the weather is more forgiving, see what he can find...

Kakashi's clan had set up various hiding places throughout the country, as most clans do - constantly being forced to move and rotate their homes out of fear - but due to his father's early death, Kakashi was never informed about any of them. He was left on his own, and began migrating across the land searching for them himself, making his own map, trying to understand this part of his identity with no help from any of his brethren. 

He looks at the dogs cooped by the fire, and he knows the right thing to do would be to continue his journey, keep looking and find a more suitable place for them.

"Just a few more days, ok?" He assures them. It's risky, he knows, but he wants to see Iruka one more time.

Pakkun growls, picking up on his thoughts.

"You're just not used to people," Kakashi shushes him. "Can't you let me do this, for once?" 

Pakkun blinks, unimpressed.

Kakashi knows it's an unnecessary liability. He's gone long enough, after all, but this mysterious man has awoken something in him, and now he can't just let it go. It's foolish, to get involved with a human - Kakashi knows that more than anyone - but there's something about Iruka that makes Kakashi want to throw caution to the wind and just go for it.

_"You've been through a lot of heartache."_

Iruka's voice rings in his ears. He knows there’s no way those dumb cards could really show anything, and he's sure it's a flook, but still, he can't get it out of his head, like a haunting reminder. He's so tired of heartache after heartache. Maybe now he could...even for just a night...maybe he could _feel_ again.

Pakkun huffs through his nose, and Kakashi has known him long enough to recognize criticism when he hears it.

"What? You think I can't do it? You think I won't ask him out?" Kakashi says defensively.

Akino and Biscuit roll on their backs, mouths hanging open in amusement. If dogs could laugh, they would be.

"Screw you guys," Kakashi grumbles, causing more of them to roll on the rug and wag their tails in amusement. 

Finishing his coffee and laying the cup in the sink, he walks over the couch, grabbing his flannel. "I'm gonna prove you all wrong, just watch."

They bark and yip at him as he shuts the door, but he ignores them, and heads back into town for the second time in one week.

When he gets there, he's surprised to be faced with a big sign that reads CLOSED on the door.

He stares at it, dumbfounded. Surely, it's still early. Not even lunch time yet, so why would it be closed? He turns his attention to the display window, and reads the small handwritten sign listing the hours.

**M-F**

**4pm-10pm**

_Huh._ He supposes he never noticed. 4 to 10 though? He furrows his brow. Those seem like odd hours for a bookstore….

"Hey mister!" 

"Choji, don't-"

Kakashi looks down, surprised to find two small children approaching him. 

"We're not supposed to talk to strangers," the one with the ponytail says.

"Maybe he can help us though," the other one responds, before craning his neck to look up at Kakashi. "Mister, do you got any change on you? We want to get popsicles but they only come in 2 and we need money for another."

Kakashi looks between them, amused. "But there's only two of you."

The one with the ponytail rolls his eyes. "It's for our friend."

The other boy - Choji - agrees. "Ino will be real mad if we forget about her again."

"Ah, well, we don't want that." Kakashi smiles, and reaches into his pocket. He hands them a few coins. "What will you do with the 4th one then?"

Choji looks at him like he's said something obscene. "I'm gonna eat it, o' course."

Kakashi laughs at his seriousness. "So, you get 2?"

He nods earnestly, taking Kakashi's money and handing it to the other boy, who combines their change and begins to count it. When he nods with confirmation, Choji looks up at Kakashi with a huge grin.

"Alright! Thanks mister!"

They begin to turn away, when Choji stops abruptly.

"Oh and mister-" he says, and his voice is low like he's telling a secret. "You should stay away from that place."

"Choji!" The other boy chastises, pulling on his arm.

"'M only warnin' him!" Choji answers back, keeping his feet planted. "C'mon Shikamaru, he was nice we should-"

"What do you mean?" Kakashi interrupts them, raising a brow. They both turn to him with wide eyes. When they don't say anything further, he pushes again. "What do you mean I should stay away from this place?"

The boys eye each other nervously.

With a heavy sigh, it's Shikamaru who speaks first. "A witch owns that shop."

Kakashi hides the smile that wants to form on his face. "A witch, huh?"

Choji nods. "Yeah, he's been here for years but never ages and-"

"No one ever sees him during the day," Shikamaru finishes for him. "It's why his shop is open so late. He only comes out at night."

"That's why he wears black all the time too," Choji adds. "I hear he's real scary."

Kakashi hums. "Have you met him?"

They both shake their heads vigorously. "No way! We aren't going in there!"

"You know, it's rude to judge people before you meet them," Kakashi says. "How would you feel if someone said mean things about you that aren’t true?"

Shikamaru rolls his eyes. "Why would they? We aren't evil witches who put spells on people. We're just kids."

"Oh, he puts spells on people, too?" Kakashi says, forcing his face to remain neutral despite wanting to laugh.

"That's what we heard," they say in all seriousness. "Even Mizuki-sensei said so. He told us not to get our books here."

Kakashi's brows shoot up on his forehead. An adult spreading childish rumors? He should have known this little town would hold silly superstitions. 

"Well," Kakashi says after a moment. "Thank you boys for warning me."

"Sure thing mister! Thanks for the money!" They yell as they run off, leaving Kakashi to stand alone in front of the store, feeling slightly perplexed.

_A witch..._

* * *

It's almost time for Iruka to close the shop, when his cat hops up on the counter, sitting gracefully and looking to Iruka with wide yellow eyes.

"What is it, Konan?" Iruka asks distractedly as he closes out the register.

The cat's tail swishes once, and as if on cue the door opens. Iruka picks his eyes up in surprise, and doesn't fight the smile that forms on his face upon seeing the now familiar face of Kakashi. He wouldn't admit it, but he's grateful to see him return. After the puzzling end to their meeting last time, he can't help but feel intrigued. Kakashi is like a closed book, and Iruka's curiosity is starting to get the better of him, wanting to pry the pages open. Plus, he's nice to look at, of course.

"You're here late tonight," he says, as the other man approaches him.

Kakashi sends him a lazy wave. "I stopped by earlier. But you were closed."

"So you came back?" Iruka asks. "Are you that desperate for some new reading material?"

"Ah, more desperate for some conversation, I think." Kakashi admits, letting out some light nervous laughter.

Iruka's brows raise. "Really? I can't be that interesting, can I?"

"Oh, I don't know," Kakashi says. "The kids in town seem to think you're quite interesting actually."

The cat on the counter turns its head to lazily eye the other man, now standing just a foot away. Kakashi looks down at her cautiously, but otherwise pays no attention. The tail swishes once more.

"Is that so?" Iruka hums, pursing his lips tight. 

"Yeah," Kakashi continues. His hands are shoved deep in his jean pockets. "They warned me not to come here actually."

Iruka looks down at his register one more time, before shutting the door with a clang. "And you didn't heed their warning?"

"Maybe I wanted to see for myself." Kakashi says, and again, there's that look in his eyes - a look that holds a glint of something Iruka can't identify.

Iruka moves to lean a hip against the counter, and holds out a hand to his cat as a way of seeking a distraction - a comfort to ground himself to. Konan takes the invitation, and moves to bump her forehead against his fingers, before allowing herself to be scooped into his arms. He holds her against his chest, and looks at Kakashi with a daring gaze, challenging those eyes - waiting to see what could possibly be hiding within them. "What did they have to say, then?"

Kakashi shifts his attention between Iruka and the cat. He hesitates for half a second before answering. "They said you're a witch."

That makes Iruka grin, the short tension he felt lifting, as he throws his head back with a laugh. "They're still sticking with that story, huh?"

Kakashi laughs with him. "They seemed really convinced."

"They've been saying that for years," Iruka says with a shake of his head. _A witch_ . _If only they knew._

"What'd you do to get such a fine reputation?" Kakashi encourages him to elaborate, an easy smile on his face. 

"Nothing," Iruka answers with a shrug. "You know how these small towns are. You mind your own business and people think it's weird for some reason."

"Well, they did have some compelling evidence, I won't lie." Kakashi says.

"What's that?" Iruka asks, already well aware of the rumors and tall tales surrounding him.

His eyes fall on the cat in his arms incredulously. "You're literally holding a black cat right now."

Iruka pulls her closer to his chest, and lands a soft peck against her crown. He looks up at Kakashi with innocent eyes, like he doesn't understand the connection. "And? She's my baby."

Kakashi shakes his head, looking at him fondly. "She is cute I guess."

He reaches a hand out in offering, inviting her to sniff at his fingers, but the second they get within her reach, she hisses - jerking in Iruka's arms with an aggressive swipe of her paw in his direction - making the other man jump.

"Konan!" Iruka chastises, and yanks her back, pulling her close to his chest to keep her still. He coos at her to calm her down, before turning to place her on the floor. When he looks back at Kakashi, the man's face is as pale as ever. "Sorry, she's not usually like that."

"Ah it's ok," Kakashi says, letting out an awkward laugh at himself. "She can probably just tell I'm more of a dog person."

"I suppose that doesn't help my case though," Iruka tries to joke, ignoring his worries. His eyes trail after Konan for a second as she saunters off, and he wonders what would possess her to act in such a way.

"Well, no," Kakashi agrees, pulling his attention back. "You did also read my fortune, and then there’s your store hours on top of that too so..."

Iruka furrows his brow. “Anybody can read tarot. It’s not hard. And what about my store hours?”

"You're open late because you don't like the sun or something like that, right?" Kakashi elaborates.

"Seriously?" Iruka rolls his eyes. Sure Iruka prefers the night, but he can survive in sunlight fine, at least for a little while. "Ungrateful kids."

A look of confusion passes Kakashi's face, and Iruka sighs before continuing.

"I wanted this to be a safe place they could come to after school," he explains. He drops his gaze, suddenly feeling embarrassed to say it outloud. "I stay open late, just in case any of them don't have a home to go to, or don't _want_ to go home. I thought it'd be better than being out on the street getting into trouble."

"That's very thoughtful of you," Kakashi responds, and Iruka still refuses to look at him. He's never told anyone that before. He doesn't know why he's even bothering to tell Kakashi now.

"Well," Iruka continues, a bitter tone in his voice - but it's humorous. "They repay me by spreading nasty rumors, so, it's pointless I guess."

"Not pointless," Kakashi says seriously. "It's smart. It's hard to grow up feeling like you have nowhere to go. To dedicate a place to offer them some type of peace is very kind of you."

Iruka is taken back by the abrupt severity of his words, and the kindness in which they are spoken. He can't remember the last time anyone has spoken so softly to him, or even praised him in such a manner. He is so used to being looked at like a freak, the weirdo in town that everyone avoids, and no one talks to. It takes him off guard, and he shifts his weight on his feet in his unease. He clears his throat when he speaks next.

"I used to be a teacher," he says, and he isn't sure why he's sharing this either - why he feels compelled to for the first time in years. "I remember working with kids who didn't have homes, or who had fucking asshole parents, and I hated having to see them off at the end of the day. I just wished so badly I could be sure they were going somewhere safe."

"So you made that safe place yourself," Kakashi finishes for him.

Iruka nods.

"You don't teach anymore?" Kakashi asks when Iruka doesn't seem to have anything else to add.

Iruka shakes his head. It became too complicated after everything - after the _change._ He misses teaching though, and still has a soft spot for children, even knowing it's not something attainable in his current state. As it is now, it's too painful to become too attached. He's made that mistake once before, and refuses to allow it to happen again.

"It just wasn't for me anymore." He lies.

"Hm," Kakashi hums. "Well, I'm grateful we got this store out of it at least."

Iruka rolls his eyes. "You're a kiss ass."

Kakashi's shoulders shake as he laughs, both hands back in his pockets. "I mean it! It's very cool. Probably my favorite bookstore I've ever been too."

Iruka remains unimpressed by his flattery, but smiles anyway. "It's just a bookstore."

"Yeah but," Kakashi makes a show of looking around him. "It's cool. Love the velvet drapes. Although, that's not helping with the whole witch thing either I suppose."

"Witches don't own velvet, ya know," Iruka shoots back.

Kakashi eyes him playfully. "Maybe not, but how do you explain the outfit then?"

Iruka looks down at himself, offended. He's wearing a plain black button down, tucked into black pants and a black leather belt. Multiple silver chains hang around his neck. "What's wrong with my outfit?"

Kakashi shrugs, his own eyes tracking down Iruka's body. "Nothing. You look great. It's a lot of black, though."

"I'm not taking fashion critiques from someone who's boots tracked mud into my store," Iruka snaps jokingly.

"Ah," Kakashi looks down at his shoes, a flush forming on his cheeks. "I'm sorry. I didn't-"

Iruka waves him off. "I was just messing with you. Don't worry about it."

"I can stay and help you clean, if you want." He offers.

Iruka fights back a smile. He's tempted to say yes, just to spend some more time with the man, but once again he finds himself hesitating. Kakashi isn't like the other men he usually plays with, and it's throwing him off his game. Maybe it's because he's the first guy in literal centuries who bothered to actually speak to him, or maybe it's because his emotions seem muted compared to that of most other humans. Most men waste no time fucking him - which Iruka certainly isn't complaining about - but this is the first time a man has made Iruka wait, and it's the first time a man's intentions seem unclear. Now he isn't sure what he wants.

"No, I wouldn't want to make you do that," Iruka finally decides to answer. 

"It's no problem, really," Kakashi insists. 

"Well," Iruka bites his lip, thinking. "I guess I can't make you leave so soon, since you came all the way out here. Twice."

Kakashi grins. "What can I say? I can't seem to stay away."

Iruka scrunches his nose at that. "I think I liked you better when you were too shy to flirt."

Kakashi groans in protest. "I wasn't too shy-"

Iruka raises his brows. 

"Ok," Kakashi ducks his head with a laugh. "Maybe I was a little shy."

Iruka nods, triumphant at the admission. When Kakashi picks his head up, he looks at Iruka slyly.

“So, you admit you like me though?”

“I said liked,” Iruka quickly corrects, but then smiles. “But yeah, maybe.”

He means it. He thinks _maybe_ he does like him, like maybe that’s what this feeling of hesitancy is. It’s scary, actually, because Iruka hasn’t _liked_ anyone in a long time. There’s no reason to, considering what he is, and usually he refuses to even get close to anyone to begin with - but there is just something about Kakashi, this fog that wraps around him, engulfs him, makes his senses hazy, and makes him want _more._ Makes him want to explore more than just the taste of his flesh, a different type of hunger that Iruka can tell will not be satisfied by a simple drink. He wants more, and it’s bad and dangerous for him to want more, but here he is, smiling across at the man in front of him anyway.

“I like you too,” Kakashi says bluntly, and even as he says it he shakes his head, like he realizes how _goofy_ it is to say such a thing, and Iruka can’t help but laugh because _gosh he is fucking cute_ and _yeah_ Iruka hasn’t felt this kind of stupid smitten in a while. “Sorry, I just-”

He trails off, flush high on his cheeks, and Iruka watches with a look of humor on his face.

“I usually don’t do stuff like this.” He explains. “I move around a lot, so I uh, don’t really date- not that this is date, or that you would want to- I mean, I-”

“Kakashi,” Iruka cuts off his rambling, amused.

“Sorry,” Kakashi snaps his mouth shut, embarrassed, before composing himself with a soft chuckle. “You know, it’s funny, those kids saying you’re a witch and shit. It’s dumb as all hell, but it really does feel like you got me under a spell.”

The words are like a dark, cold reminder, and suddenly it’s like a bucket of water has been dumped onto Iruka, washing any brief delusion of happiness he felt away.

_A spell._

He purses his lips tight, and averts his eyes down to the counter between them. Just to seem occupied, he aimlessly taps at the register, despite it already being closed. He no longer feels like talking.

“Actually it’s kind of late,” he says out of the blue, still refusing to look at Kakashi. “Maybe you should go.”

“Oh,” Kakashi responds softly, confused. A tense moment passes. He clears his throat. “Uh, ok, yeah.”

“Sorry,” Iruka says, trying to force down the annoyance in his tone and still remain civil. “I’m tired. Rain check?”

Kakashi blinks stupidly at him before nodding. “Rain check. Sure. No problem.”

Iruka doesn’t watch him leave, but once he hears the door shut he slumps forward onto the counter, head buried into his arms, and lets out a loud groan.

Konan wastes no time hopping up to meet him, rubbing her body against his arms in reassurance.

_A spell._ His stomach turns. It’s not a spell. Iruka doesn’t do _spells._ He refuses. He absolutely refuses to lure anyone to him under such grimy scumbag circumstances, no matter how hungry he is, no matter how starving, no matter if he thinks he’s on the brink of fucking _death,_ he would rather drop dead then _force_ someone into sleeping with him. He fucking hates it, hates that it’s even option, hates that part of this cursed life he lives requires him to be a fucking evil being who manipulates to kill.

_“Meow.”_ Konan softly purrs against him, and he picks his head up, hair falling in front of his eyes.

“I know,” he says. He hasn’t done it, not intentionally at least. In the beginning, he didn’t know. He didn’t understand his abilities and he didn’t know how to control them. Men would fall to his feet, and he would take them, seduce them with just one simple look and drink their blood until their lives were no more, but now….now he feels sick just thinking about it. He hates himself for it, and has since vowed to only feed on people who he has coaxed into his bed the old fashioned way, and he never drinks enough to kill, just enough to make them forget. 

It still hurts though, and Kakashi’s words are like a slap to the face, making him nauseous with regret. He _likes_ Kakashi. He doesn’t want to trick him...but, his whole existence is a trick, isn’t it? How can he even expect to go on a normal date with this man? Then what? Iruka doesn't even know. The last few hundreds of men he’s slept with started with no date at all and ended with them not even remembering Iruka’s name or face, so what now? How should this be different? How did Iruka even let it get to this?

Konan runs her face against his hand, urging him to open his palm. He does, and lightly scratches at her ears. 

"What should I do?" Iruka asks out loud. Kakashi just had to say that didn't he? Did he have to remind Iruka what a fucking monster he is? Whatever brief hopefulness he felt was all for nothing because _of course_ he can't have a normal relationship. He doesn't deserve one anyway. He wishes Kakashi didn't even bother talking to him now; he wishes he wasn’t so fucking cute and adorable and shy, and would have just asked Iruka out the first time they met like he was heavily hinting at, but _no_ he had to be nice, and kind, and treat Iruka like a _human_ with fucking _decency._ _Ugh._

Iruka wishes he was more strong willed, and he wishes he could put his emotions to the side and just get it over with. It's been a while since he's fed, and he could easily use this man to get what he needs and go on about his life like normal but…

The idea of using Kakashi, and then wiping his memories like he usually does, just isn't sitting well with him. The idea of Kakashi forgetting him...it's selfish and stupid...but he doesn't want Kakashi to forget him. He wants to keep talking to him, wants to know more about him, wants to know what it's like to wake up next to someone instead of sneaking away in the night, and he wants _Kakashi_ to be that someone _._ It's horrifying.

"Am I crazy?" _For wanting this?_ He looks at Konan, who continues to press herself into his palm. She pauses at his voice, her yellow eyes staring back at him.

"You sense it too, right?" He says to her. _Something is different about him._

She blinks slowly, and her tail swishes once. Iruka drops his hand with a heavy sigh. 

"I shouldn't have pushed him away," he mumbles. "I'm an idiot, I should have-"

_What?_ He doesn't even know. He doesn't know if this is something he can do. He knows he _shouldn't,_ but maybe he can _try._ Just to see. Just to feel. Maybe…

He looks to the closed door, feeling a different sense of regret than earlier - one that burns in the pit of his stomach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was once again beta read by ladyxxdaydream, thank you for your help! Minor changes have been made after the fact so if you see any grammar or spelling errors that's all on me lol. I have decided this will be 4 chapters long. Chapter 3 is complete and will be posted soon after a final edit. I greatly appreciate all who have read so far, and your comments mean a lot to me! Thank you!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Bit of a longer one for you all today...I hope you enjoy :)
> 
> Also, I apologize as I didn't think to tag this earlier, because I assumed it kinda comes with the territory of vampires, but please note there will be descriptions of blood starting in this chapter and the next. There won't be anything that counts as 'blood play' or anything like that but yeah, just wanted to make a note in case anyone is uncomfortable about that stuff. Thanks!

“I don’t know what I said wrong,” Kakashi mumbles, kicking around the kitchenette and stacking the dogs’ food bowls in the sink. A few days have passed, but Kakashi  _ still _ can't stop replaying his and Iruka's last interaction over and over again in his head. “He said he liked me. He was flirting  _ first. _ I don’t get it.”

Everything felt like it was going well. Kakashi was finally gaining the confidence to ask him out. He was about to make his move...whatever that means.

He turns back to the dogs, all lazily lounging throughout the small space of the cabin. “Do you think I freaked him out? Was I being too forward?”

Various pairs of eyes stare blankly at him in return. He wipes his hands over his face and groans.

“Oh god I was, wasn’t I?” He’s so bad at this. He’s never flirted  _ in his life. _ He doesn’t know what’s normal and what’s not. “He probably thinks I’m a fucking weirdo.  _ A spell. _ What the fuck does that even mean."

_ It's the truth, _ Kakashi thinks. He has never met anyone so  _ captivating _ before. Kakashi has come across many humans in his life, but none of them have gotten his attention quite like how Iruka has. The way he spoke to Kakashi without fear, the challenge in his gaze, enticing Kakashi to challenge back - and Kakashi wants to accept that challenge. He wants to see what lies in his dark eyes - how they seem to trap him where he stands every time they meet face to face. He wants to find out why he can't figure out his smell, and why there seems to be some mysterious barrier blocking him, a barrier he wants to  _ break. _ He wants to get close to him, bury his face in his long hair and just  _ breathe.  _ He has never been so  _ entrapped  _ by a human's scent before - or, lack thereof.

_ Is that weird? _

“I thought I was being romantic,” he continues to rant, trying to justify it in his mind.

Pakkun snorts.

"Be quiet," he sighs, no malice in his voice at all, just exasperation. "I'm new at this. Obito…"

He cuts himself off.  _ Obito would have liked it. _ He would have laughed. He liked that corny lovey dovey shit that Kakashi was so bad at. He was such a sap, so open with his emotions, his anger, humor, his sadness and love. Kakashi wasn't like that, but Obito would get it out of him. Now, he looks back and regrets - regrets all the times he bit his tongue and forced his emotions down for no reason at all.

He stares hard at the floor, leaning against the sink counter and gripping it roughly with his hands, eyes unfocused. If he could get those moments back, he would do them over in a heartbeat. Make sure that Obito knew. Knowing that Obito died with any type of doubt of Kakashi's love haunts him to this day, and he hates himself for being so afraid of nothing.

Pushing himself from the counter, he stands up straight.  _ What is he afraid of now?  _ He has nothing to lose.

"I have to go back," he says decisively, and quickly rushes to the door to shove his feet in his boots. He kicks them against the wall a few times to try and get some of the dirt off, before realizing he has to walk through the woods to get back into town anyway and gives up.

Before he can get out the door, he's pulled back by a tight grip on the flannel hanging around his waist. He turns to find Bull's jaws locked on the sleeve, with Pakkun standing next to him with a scowl.

"I won't be long," he says, pulling the door open. 

Bull growls around a mouthful. Pakkun barks.

Kakashi turns to look outside, before looking back down at them. "I know."

_ A full moon. Soon. _

"I'll be careful," he tells them. 

More snarls.

Kakashi sighs with a slouch of his shoulders. "Listen, you guys have nothing to worry about. I'm just gonna go apologize and smooth things over, ok? I'll come right back."

He just wants to see if he can get a second chance, just so he can say he tried, just so when he finally meets Obito again the guy won't laugh at him for being a wuss. Obito would - the brat that he is - even though they both know he was a far bigger wuss than Kakashi ever was throughout their life together. Even in death, he can't help but keep their competitive streak going.

It's silly, but it makes him smile nonetheless, and he keeps smiling as the dogs release him and he heads back into town. By the time he gets there, it's just before the sun is setting, and the soft orange glow of the sunset fades across the sky. He wastes no time bursting the door open, eyes instantly looking behind the counter to try and spot Iruka.

_ "Meow."  _

"Fuck!" Kakashi jumps, the cat appearing at his feet and startling him.  _ How the fuck does this cat keep doing that?! _ It zigzags between his legs, brushing against the leather of his boots, before strolling off. Kakashi watches as she goes, lifting a leg to let her pass, and almost loses his balance completely when a hand comes in contact with his shoulder.

"Ah!" He yells, spinning on his heel, coming face to face with Iruka.

"Sorry!" Iruka pulls his hand away, holding it up in a sign of apology. "Didn't mean to scare you."

Kakashi lets out a deep breath, shoulders sinking. "No I'm sorry I-"

His shoulder burns where Iruka touched. He misses the weight of it already.

"You just startled me," Kakashi continues, still amazed that Iruka could manage to do so once more. They're standing relatively close now, and Kakashi still can only pick up the faintest of scents. He smells the leather of his boots, his belt, the thin cuffs around his wrist, the silver around his neck, but he picks up nothing else, nothing  _ human. _ Whatever else is beneath the artificial scent of his clothing is too faint for Kakashi to pinpoint. It's driving him  _ mad. _

Iruka sends him a warm smile, and Kakashi is almost thrown off by it, considering the last time he saw him he practically kicked him out of the store.

"How are you?" Iruka asks, sweet as pie.

Kakashi clears his throat. "Uh, good. Good. You?"

"Good." There's an awkward moment where they just stare at each other, unsure how to continue, before Iruka takes a deep breath. "Listen, Kakashi, I'm glad you came. I wanted to apologize-"

"What? No, that's why I came," Kakashi cuts him off in surprise. "I wanted to apologize to you."

Furthering his shock, Iruka looks just as confused. "Why would you-"

"I thought I said something wrong," Kakashi explains, sure that Iruka would know. "When you asked me to to leave I-"

"No, I overreacted." Iruka brushes him off with a wave of his hand. "I know it's dumb, but...sometimes those rumors get to me."

Kakashi shakes his head adamantly. "No. I understand. I'm sorry."

And he does understand. More than Iruka can ever even know. Kakashi has been running from humans all his life because he fears the same type of  _ rumors _ . Rumors that could eventually lead to death. He feels so foolish for not sympathizing earlier. 

"It's not your fault," Iruka says, averting his eyes in a way that almost comes off as  _ shy. _ "I shouldn't have taken it out on you. You've been here for less than a month and already know me better than anyone else in this town."

Kakashi eyes him closely, flicking his gaze across his features. The admission is surprising, but more than that it's sad, and Kakashi can see that sadness written on his face. It's a look Kakashi recognizes, one he can feel deep in his chest. A look of loneliness, but not just any loneliness. A loneliness that has existed for a long time, so long that it's become almost comforting. A steady constant that feels secure, safe, because at least this way you know you won't get hurt. Kakashi has felt that same comfort for a long time too - for a while it was all he knew, and for a while he told himself it was all he needed - but when he looks at Iruka he yearns to disrupt it. He wonders if Iruka feels the same. He wonders if Iruka can see it on his face too.

"Everybody else is missing out," Kakashi says, flashing a smile in hopes to wipe the sadness off of Iruka's face.

It works, making Iruka roll his eyes, but there's a smile there too, so Kakashi counts it as a win. "Ugh, you're lame."

"For real though," Kakashi goes on. "I'm surprised to hear even the adults would be so superstitious."

He isn't really surprised - if it was about  _ himself _ at least - but he can't imagine anyone looking at Iruka and being anything other than mesmerized.

However, Iruka turns away at his comment, scratching at the scar across his nose, and walks further into the shop. Kakashi follows him. Today he is wearing a long black cardigan. It trails behind him as he walks.

"Yeah well," he mumbles, back still to Kakashi. "Adults can be as childish as children, you know."

"I'm sure," Kakashi agrees.

They walk to the counter where a stack of books sit. Iruka picks them up and hands them to Kakashi, who takes them without question, and then he begins to walk towards the shelves again. They pass through the narrow rows, Iruka periodically taking a book from Kakashi and placing it where it belongs, before heading to the next. It's a nice quiet moment, filled with nothing but the smell of book pages, leather, and candle smoke. Kakashi feels peaceful, just walking beside the other man and aiding him with his work. A part of him feels like he could do this everyday, in a perfect world, if he didn't have to run.

"Kakashi."

Iruka's smooth voice breaks the stillness in the air. Kakashi looks at him, only now realizing there is just one book left in his hand. Iruka takes it from him gently, using both hands, and their fingers touch for just the shortest of moments.

"There's another reason why people don't like me in this town," he says.

Kakashi looks at him perplexed. Iruka fiddles with the book in his hands before looking up to meet his eyes.

"I'm easy."

A startled laugh escapes Kakashi's lips at the ridiculousness of the statement, but once he realizes Iruka is serious he quickly composes himself. "Wait, what?"

"They think I'm a whore," Iruka further clarifies. He turns back to the shelves, and places the last book where it belongs.

"Um." Kakashi isn't really sure what to say to that, and simply stands awkwardly in place.

"Does that bother you?" Iruka asks, turning back to stare at him straight in the eye.

Kakashi shrugs. "No? Should it?"

It's an honest answer too. The confession seems completely out of left field, and Kakashi doesn't know what it means or why it matters.

"The adults encourage the kids' stupid rumors to keep them away from me, because they think I'm a bad influence." Iruka explains, crossing his arms as he does and leaning a hip against the bookshelf. Kakashi follows his lead, and rests an arm on the shelf beside him, bringing him slightly closer into Iruka's space.

"You mean Mizuki?" Kakashi asks.

Iruka furrows his brow. "How'd you know?"

"The kids mentioned their sensei warning them about you," Kakashi recalls. "Seemed odd."

"Yeah, he's bitter cause I refused to fuck him," Iruka says in annoyance. "So now he goes around telling the whole town I'm a freak or whatever just to turn everyone against me."

"Sounds like an asshole," Kakashi says stupidly in response, at a loss. He wishes he could say more, but he isn't sure how to without revealing too much of himself. He wants to tell him how he knows that painful ache of being alone and misunderstood, but the words don't leave his throat. Instead he stands in silence.

Iruka nods minutely. "Anyway, I just wanted to tell you, incase you heard-"

"I didn't," Kakashi assures him quickly. "I mean, I didn't hear all  _ that.  _ I wouldn't care, if I did though-"

"Well, some people expect things," Iruka doesn't let him finish. "So, I have to be sure."

_ Ah.  _ Kakashi thinks he gets it now - the pieces finally falling into place - and it kind of makes him want to beat the snot outta this Mizuki guy, even though he doesn't even know what he looks like. He looks to the shelves, and glides lazy fingers over the spines of a few books. "I really did just come here for the books."

Iruka offers him a small smile. "Only sticking around to pity me then, I guess?"

"The opposite," Kakashi answers. "I'm waiting to see how long it takes til you ban me for annoying you."

That gets a laugh out of him. "You need to try harder then, if that's your goal."

"Ok," Kakashi says, taking on the challenge. He taps a finger to his chin, pretending to be deep in thought. "Let's see, I already made you change your inventory, and dirtied up your floor so...what should I do next?"

Iruka, however, isn't interested in playing along. He snatches his wrist, using the grip to tug himself closer. It takes Kakashi by surprise, and he barely has enough sense to stop himself from colliding into the other man. He stops just in time, and stares at Iruka with wide eyes, now just a breath away. They're not touching, except for his delicate fingers wrapped around his wrist, but almost. This close, Kakashi can pick up a faint floral scent mixed with something else - something dense, heavy, like the packed solid earth in the middle of a dark winter night, weighed down by snow and ice. It's a familiar scent, one that reminds him of digging his claws deep in the ground as he runs, hunting in the forest. He fights his desire to close the gap between them, to get closer.

"You could stay past closing," Iruka says, feather light fingertips ghosting across his pulse point.

"Yes," Kakashi answers without thinking, caught up in the moment.

"I live above the shop, actually," Iruka continues, a mischievous smile forming on his face. "You could come up and we could sit on the balcony, have a glass of wine. It's supposed to be a full moon. Could be romantic, since you're into that kind of stuff..."

_ Full moon.  _ Fuck,  _ that's right. _ Kakashi forgot. He was so excited he said yes without realizing. 

"Wait, shit, no, I can't." He takes a step back as he says it, and Iruka's face falls - along with Kakashi's hand from his grasp.

"Oh, ok."

_ Fuck. _ He looks so disappointed. Kakashi panics.  _ Why today of all days. _

"I'm really sorry," he says in a rush. "I actually, uh, I have something important I'm supposed to do tonight. I really was just stopping by. I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's ok," Iruka tells him. "Another time?"

"Yes, please," Kakashi agrees quickly. He rakes over his brain, trying to plan ahead. With the full moon tonight, he really will need at least three days to recover, to be safe. "Wednesday?"

Iruka nods, much to Kakashi's relief. "Alright. 8 o'clock? I can close the shop early."

"Are you sure?" Kakashi asks. "You don't need to do that. I don't mind waiting-"

Iruka looks around. "I think all my many customers will be ok with it."

Kakashi chuckles. "Ok fair. 8 it is then."

"Sounds good." Iruka nods. "See you then."

"Yeah, see you," Kakashi returns on reflex. 

Iruka waits for half a second, before stepping aside and beginning to walk away - allowing Kakashi to take his leave - but then Kakashi's body is moving on its own, grabbing Iruka’s arm, stopping him. 

"Sorry," Kakashi lets go instantly, embarrassed by his own actions. He doesn't know why he did it, but now Iruka is looking at him expectantly, waiting. A million thoughts race through his head, and he desperately tries to grasp onto just  _ one _ . To say something, anything.

"Can I kiss you?" Kakashi blurts, and once again he is embarrassed by his dumbass brain's rash actions.

A brief look of surprise passes Iruka's face - there and gone in a flash so quick Kakashi almost misses it - before he gives him a small nod for an answer. "Ok."

_ Holy shit that worked.  _ Kakashi is so stunned, it takes him a full second to register the answer, and even then he almost forgets he actually has to  _ move _ to follow through with his own request. Suddenly he feels overwhelmingly hot. He can't remember the last time he felt so nervous in his life. Iruka is right there, standing in front of him, waiting, willing, and Kakashi feels like his feet are made of stone.

Probably no more than ten seconds pass, but it's much too long for Kakashi, who can feel his face burning, and he knows he must be as red as the flannel tied around his waist. It spurs him into action - because if they're kissing then Iruka won't be able to see his tomato colored skin - and he quickly closes the distance between them, placing a short, soft, press of lips against Iruka's in nothing more than a small delicate peck.

When he pulls away, he catches Iruka slowly blinking open his eyes, looking at Kakashi with an expression he can't exactly read. Kakashi ducks his head to avoid making eye contact, feeling mortified.

"So, Wednesday?" He says, trying to sound as casual as possible for someone who's just had their first kiss  _ in years _ , and begins taking small steps backwards towards the exit.

"Wednesday." Iruka answers with a smile, and Kakashi practically trips over his own feet at the sight. 

"Great, awesome. See you uh, see you then," he sputters, trying to compose himself despite Iruka laughing at his misstep. He quickly turns around, and leaves the shop with one last wave of goodbye before he can embarrass himself any further.

When he gets outside, he's hit by the cold night air, but it hardly phases him. His face still burns, and his lips tingle with the ghost of Iruka's touch. He grins to himself, picking up his pace as he walks, and touches a finger to his bottom lip.

_ It's been so long. _ Kakashi forgot what kissing felt like. He forgot what it was like to share such intimacy, to share someone's taste and breath and skin. He feels giddy, like a child, and he can't wait to see Iruka again.

_ Wednesday. _ He looks up to the sky, already starting to feel his skin scrawl, and then picks up his pace.  _ Right. _ The only reason he isn't still with Iruka right now is because of this fucking full moon, and while he usually enjoys them, this time he feels nothing but sourness towards it.

It's a chilling wake up call, reminding him of the unpleasant reality of his life, and by the time he makes it back to the cabin, he's in a foul mood. The moon hasn't reached the highest point of the sky yet, so he hasn't changed, but he can feel it starting - with the way his body suddenly feels too large for his own skin. He'll change on his own soon, because if he doesn't, when the moon hits its high point the change will happen forcefully, and that is far less pleasant.

He flings open the door, and kicks off his boots immediately after. As he walks further into the house, he begins peeling off his clothing.

"I'm home," he yells, shirt over his head. The pitter patter of dog paws on the wood floor greets him, and once his shirt is removed, he looks down at them gathered around his feet.

"What's that?" He asks, eyes shifting suspiciously between them. Bull has a plastic bag between his teeth. His tail wags.

"Should I be nervous?" He looks to Pakkun, knowing he is the mastermind. Pakkun makes no noise, but lifts his chin in invitation.

Bull follows his lead, and takes a step forward, presenting the bag to Kakashi. Kakashi tosses his shirt to the floor, and leans down to peek inside.

Instantly, his face burns a bright red for the millionth time that day. "What the fuck you guys."

He takes the bag from Bull's grip, and carries it over to the kitchen counter where he dumps it out. Unbelievably and much ot Kakashi’s humilitaion, a variety of different lubes and condoms spill out onto the surface.

"How the fuck did you even get this shit?!" 

Akino yips behind him and Kakashi groans. He turns to them again, wiping a hand across his face.  _ An apology. _

"Listen, I get you guys are trying to be supportive," he tells them. "But, uh, this is. You didn't have to do this."

So, even his own dogs are trying to get him laid now. He would be more appreciative - since it's embarrassing to realize that while trying to pursue Iruka, the fact that he is underprepared did slip his mind - but ahead of the full moon, he feels less than thrilled.

"Unfortunately, you guys may have done this for nothing," he grumbles, more to himself than them.

How foolish is he to prepare for a date, knowing full well he is going through an unavoidable change at the same time. One he must go through every damn month. What is he supposed to do? Go on one date and never see Iruka again? Or prepare to lie to him every month? Can he even keep this a secret? He didn't plan ahead for this. He didn't think it would be this difficult. He didn't think…

He didn't think he'd actually have feelings for Iruka.

It was one thing, before, when he was thinking maybe this would be an opportunity just to experience some physical intimacy again. But now, it feels wrong to view it like that, especially after Iruka confided in him as he did.

"I can't treat him like that," Kakashi says aloud. He doesn't  _ want  _ to treat him like that.

Uhei whimpers, sensing his sadness, and Pakkun walks up beside him, rubbing his side into his leg. The touch is rough against his hyper sensitive skin - as it always is before and after a full moon - and it startles him into remembering that he has to act fast.

"Don't worry about it," he tells them quickly. "I'll be fine."

_ You're leaving something behind. _

_ Everything.  _ Even now, after he changes and as he runs through the woods with his pack, he's thinking of leaving again - running from this feeling, of his attraction to Iruka, of the natural pull he felt since the moment he laid eyes on him.

His whole life, he's done nothing but run. After his dad died he ran from other clans, and when he found Obito he ran from his love, and when Obito was killed he ran some more, never stopping since. 

Kakashi is so tired of fucking running, of  _ hiding _ . Is this another thing in his life that he's going to run from? Another thing he's going to regret?

He stops just to pause and look at the moon, to feel the light on his fur, to take in her guidance.

_ No. _

* * *

Ahead of their date, Iruka can't stop thinking about Kakashi. Embarrassingly, he can't stop fucking  _ smiling  _ either. Even as he prepares - closing out the register, cleaning up the shop - he keeps catching himself smiling for no damn reason.

He closes earlier than 8, so he can head upstairs to his apartment and clean there too. It's been a while since anyone else has seen where he sleeps, and he suddenly feels self conscious. His home isn't much, just a small studio with the bare essentials, but it works for him. He doesn't need much to survive, after all. The walls are a dark purple, and string lights hang around the ceiling to offer a soft glow, illuminating the various tapestries and posters littering the walls. For some added lighting, he lights various candles on his end tables and coffee table, hoping to set the mood. Other than that, there isn't much else he can think of to do. He has a bottle of wine prepared, but otherwise nothing. Iruka doesn't eat, so he has no food. He can drink, although he doesn't really need to, but eating makes him sick to his stomach. He hopes Kakashi isn't expecting food. Maybe he should have gone out and bought something just in case...he can't even remember the last time he went to a grocery store to be honest…

Again, he can't help but laugh at himself. He has no idea what's come over him. Never in his life has he been so worked up over something like this. He has never wanted to  _ impress _ someone so much before. It feels pointless, considering the circumstances, but still.

Kakashi is just so  _ sweet. _ It's almost painful how kind he seems.  _ Can I kiss you?  _ The words ring in his ears, bouncing through his mind relentlessly. Iruka doesn't think he's ever been asked before, and it felt good actually, just to be asked first. He can't explain the feeling really, but the whole exchange - Kakashi asking permission, the short almost childlike press of lips - made Iruka feel a certain type of way he hasn't felt in centuries, and the feeling has lingered ever since Kakashi's lips left his. He feels excited, gleeful, hopeful. For the first time since he died, he feels  _ alive.  _

It's scary. He should feel more afraid than he does, but his excitement for the night is currently outweighing the discomfort of the newness of the situation. Iruka is going on a  _ date _ , a real date, not a fuck in a bar bathroom or a blowy in an alley, a  _ date _ . A date that doesn't need to end in sex, and a date that isn't just a means for Iruka to feed - and for once he feels ok with that. He has no desire to sleep with Kakashi tonight - it would be nice, but not necessary - and he has zero intention on using him to feed.

It's been a while since he's fed, but he tries not to think about it. He needs to focus on tonight, and not the growing hunger he feels. Kakashi is not for that. He can find anyone else for that. Not Kakashi. He doesn't want to do that to Kakashi, even if he does look like he would taste fucking  _ delicious.  _

It's Konan who alerts Iruka of Kakashi's presence getting closer. He can tell by the way she perches herself at the top of the stairs, as if to block Iruka from going down them.

He places a hand on his hip, and throws her a stern look. "Please behave."

She simply turns her head, like a stubborn child refusing to look at him.

Iruka sighs. "Konan, I know you're worried about someone being in the apartment but it's fine, ok! You have nothing to worry about."

That makes her look to him again, and her wide yellow eyes stare insistently.

"I just know, ok." He answers her, knowing the question she wants to ask but can't. Iruka has no idea how he knows, but he just does. He's transfixed by Kakashi, by his energy that he can't seem to get a clear read of. It's almost nice actually, to not pick up on a person's emotions and have them bombard you constantly. In a way, it is  _ peaceful  _ when Kakashi is around, although unnerving at the same time. It puts Iruka on edge, and excites him at the same time.

His response seems to satisfy her though, and she stands to walk off, making herself scarce, just in time for the knock on the door to sound.

With the path to the stairs no longer blocked, he finally makes his way down, heading through the dark shop to meet Kakashi at the front door.

"Hey," he says as he swings it open, grinning brightly at the man.

"Hi," Kakashi answers, offering a small wave. "Sorry I'm late."

_ Is he late?  _ Iruka didn't notice. Living for eternity makes time pretty pointless most days, and Iruka hardly keeps track of the minutes. His days are based on sunlight and moonlight, and that's pretty much it.

He shrugs. "No worries, come on in."

Kakashi follows him through the empty dark store, and Iruka leads him up the steps to his modest home.

"I hope you're ok with just staying in," Iruka says over his shoulder. They didn't specify their plans, but Iruka has no desire to go out on the town. The last thing he needs is the locals eyeballing him anyway. Going on a 'normal' date is hard enough without being the town's gossip source.

"Cool with me," Kakashi responds once they're upstairs. Iruka gestures for him to sit on the couch while he heads to the kitchen to fetch the wine.

Kakashi moves slowly, hesitating, eyeing the room around him before taking a seat. 

Iruka smirks to himself. "Konan isn't going to attack you. I promise."

Kakashi huffs a laugh. "I'm not afraid of a cat."

It’s not very convincing. Iruka brings the bottle tucked beneath his arm and two wine glasses over to the couch. He sends Kakashi a humored look. "Well I made sure to have a stern talk with her anyway."

Kakashi takes a glass as it’s handed to him. "I'll win her over eventually."

"Gotta win me over first," Iruka answers, taking a seat next to him after placing the wine down. He tucks one leg under himself, sitting tilted to the side to face Kakashi. His arm rests against the back of the couch, and he eyes Kakashi over the rim of his glass as he takes a sip. The liquid is tasteless in his mouth, and feels like ash as it goes down his throat. He hides the disgusted face he wants to make.

"Yeah, I guess I do." Kakashi says, and there's that flush again. He ducks his head, looking at his glass as he swirls the liquid distractedly. "You wanna help a guy out and give me some tips?"

Iruka shrugs, amused. "You're doing fine so far."

"So far," Kakashi points out with a laugh. He takes a swig then, and the action blocks his expression from Iruka's view.

Iruka narrows his eyes. Even in the quiet space of his home and sitting closely together, Kakashi is still hard to read. He's sweet, but still distant. Calm, with an even toned voice, but there's a hard edge to him, like a warning. In contrast, his pale skin flushes at even the simplest flirtation, like a teenage boy. It'd be funny if it weren't for all the other energies mingling around him. Iruka has never had a harder time reading someone before. It's confusing. 

"What are you afraid of?" Iruka asks abruptly. He leans forward to place his glass on the coffee table, and his hair falls in front of his face as he does. He left it down today, and he flips it back over his shoulder as he looks back to Kakashi.

Kakashi's eyes track the movement. He hesitates. "What?"

"What are you afraid of messing up?" Iruka says again, but really he wants to ask  _ what are you running from?  _ What has his aura so clouded, so murky? Why did the cards show him nothing but darkness?

"Oh, uh, I dunno," Kakashi answers, like he's surprised by the question. "I've never done this before."

Iruka furrows his brow. "Done what?"

Kakashi takes another gulp of wine before responding. "Gone on a date."

The shock of the statement almost feels like a physical blow. Iruka blinks in surprise, dumbfounded. "Wait. Really?"

Kakashi shakes his head. "Really. At least, I don't think so."

"I'm sorry," Iruka sputters. "How- how is that possible?"

"I mean," Kakashi continues. "My, uh, last boyfriend. We were together a long time. We knew each other since we were teens so, unless you count throwing rocks at trains as a date-"

"Ah," Iruka says with a knowing smirk, relaxing at the realization. "Highschool sweethearts?"

Kakashi shrugs. "Yeah pretty much."

"So what happened?" Iruka prods. He rests his head in his palm, eyeing Kakashi closely. "You were together a long time and then what?"

Kakashi wrinkles his nose. "Even I know you're not supposed to talk about exes on a first date."

Iruka swats at his arm playfully. "C'mon, you heard all the hot gossip about me! Lemme hear about you now."

"Alright alright," Kakashi drawls, rolling his eyes as Iruka jostles him. He pauses, taking another drink before continuing. "We were together for like 12 years or something. 'Bout 3 years ago he passed away though."

_ Oh.  _ That explains it. The dark cloud surrounding Kakashi. The heartache, the pain, the restraint. The  _ warning  _ Iruka was feeling. He has suffered, and he has his guard up. Iruka can understand that. He almost feels guilty for asking now.

"I'm sorry," he says genuinely. Iruka has outlived everyone he ever loved. He knows the pain of losing someone. 

Kakashi shrugs again. He makes a mumbling sound deep in his throat as if to say  _ it's whatever _ and downs the last of his drink. He places the empty glass on the coffee table, and settles back into the couch with his eyes forward, looking blank.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better," Iruka forces his attention back - not liking the empty look in his eyes - and speaks lightly to bring the mood back up. "I haven't done this whole dating thing in a while either."

That makes Kakashi smile in response. When he looks at Iruka, his eyes are soft. "Couple a losers we are, huh?"

Iruka laughs. "We? Speak for yourself."

"Ouch, really?" Kakashi holds a hand to his chest, pretending to be offended. "Is that how it is?"

"Yeah that's how it is," Iruka says, still laughing, grateful the gloomy energy has lifted. Kakashi is nice to talk to once he's loosened up, and Iruka finds himself getting heated just looking at him. He's still hard to read, still hesitant, but some of that distance is gone now, and Iruka wants to shorten it even more.

He decides to take things a step further, and shifts his body slightly, leaning more into the couch and getting just a tiny bit closer to the other man. 

"It's ok," he says. "You're not a total lost cause."

"Thanks?" Kakashi snorts, but Iruka can see him looking, noticing Iruka's movements, and he can see that flush rising on his cheeks with every inch disappearing between them.

"Yeah," Iruka continues, voice dropped low. They're close enough now that he doesn't need to speak louder than a whisper. "Do you still want some tips?"

Kakashi's eyes fall down to Iruka's lips. He nods slowly in response, fixated. His throat bobs with a rough swallow, and Iruka watches with a wild hunger that he fights to push down.  _ Focus.  _

"Kiss me," he breathes, soft in tone but still commanding, insisting. 

Kakashi wastes no time following orders, and lunges forward, almost taking Iruka by surprise but delighting him at the same time. He kisses Iruka feverishly, hands quickly coming up to cup his face, and presses into him with a steady growing desperation.

Despite his surprise, Iruka has no problem matching his energy, and meets him with the same intensity. It's like ever since they shared that small childlike kiss, this electricity was gradually building between them, and now it's finally able to come into fruition - a powerful crash erupting in a clash of tongues and teeth.

" _ Ah!"  _ Iruka gasps as Kakashi roughly bites at his lip.

"Sorry," Kakashi says breathlessly, not breaking contact and continuing to pepper small kisses against his skin. He kisses his cheek, down his jaw, down his neck.

Iruka shakes his head rapidly. "No, no. Don't apologize.  _ Fuck." _

Kakashi latches onto his throat, and Iruka's eyes roll in the back of head because  _ damn _ the boy has got some fucking teeth on him. They feel incredible against Iruka's jugular. He isn't used to the feeling, not used to being on the receiving end of it, and it makes his fucking toes curl. He wonders if it'll leave a mark.

Kakashi doesn't spend too much time there though, and soon is back to Iruka's lips, sliding his tongue into his mouth to meet his own. Iruka moans into it, thrilled by Kakashi's fervor. He can tell it's been a while for the other man - his movements are sloppy and uncoordinated, hectic almost, but they are absolutely exhilarating all the same. The frenzied way he moves fills Iruka with a lust he hasn't felt in a long time. While recently Iruka began to view sex as a necessary means to an end,  _ this _ is awakening something inside him he forgot he even missed.

"Kakashi," he says, breaking the kiss. He decides to get some control back, and he pushes against the other man, shoving him back into the couch and lifting himself up to straddle his waist. 

Kakashi looks up at him with half lidded eyes, clouded with desire, and he rests his hands on Iruka's hips, waiting for his next move. Iruka cups his cheek, thumb grazing the edge of his scar, before surging ahead with a kiss. His hair falls forward, cascading around them both. It's a distraction, so he reluctantly pulls back, straightening up and lifting his arms over his head to gather the pieces into a ponytail. As he does, he grinds his hips down, meeting Kakashi's own and relishing in the look of pained ecstasy that crosses the other man's face. His eyes slip closed, and the grip on Iruka's hips tighten. Iruka keeps up with the steady grind, until he realizes he doesn't have a hair tie on his wrist like he usually does.

"Shit," he curses. "Lemme get a hair tie."

He's about to slide off Kakashi's lap when the grip tightens even more, and Kakashi's eyes shoot open wide. 

"No," He urges, lifting a hand to come up to Iruka's face. "Leave it. I like it."

Iruka smiles. "Ok."

He lets his hair fall once more, and Kakashi brushes it back with his hand, digging his fingers into the locks and gently guiding Iruka forward again. Iruka willingly follows, and their lips meet once more, slower than before, less desperate. Sweet and soft. They breathe steadily against each other, tongues lazily meeting in languid rolls of spit soaked passion. 

Iruka glides his hands up his chest, enjoying the feel of his muscular pectorals beneath his fingers. Kakashi gasps softly under him, and Iruka breaks away with a teasing laugh. He stays close as he speaks, pressing the words directly into Kakashi's lips.

"Wanna move to the bed?"

_ "Yes," _ Kakashi answers, thick and guttural with need.

Iruka is about to get off his lap, when suddenly he is lifted upwards. He yelps in surprise, clinging to Kakashi as the other man stands, bringing Iruka up with him. 

"Kakashi!" Iruka can't help the embarrassing giggle that escapes him. Kakashi grins at him, and Iruka rushes to kiss it right off his face. 

Just as Kakashi takes a step forward to move towards the bed, he comes in contact with the coffee table, hitting his shins against the edge with a rough thud. He hisses in pain, stumbling awkwardly, and ends up knocking the whole thing over. The table topples with all the contents on it falling off in a loud crash, wine spilling and candles scattering across the floor.

Before Iruka can even register what's happening, Kakashi loses his balance, unable to recover his footing with Iruka's full body weight in his arms, and tumbles forward over the upturned table. He tightens one arm around Iruka, and uses the other to break the fall. Iruka holds tight, and braces himself with a startled yell.

They land in an awkward tangle of limbs, and Iruka groans as his back hits the floor. There's minimal impact thanks to Kakashi's arm, but he hears a sickening  _ crunch _ just beside his ear where Kakashi's other hand landed. 

_ "Fuck.  _ I'm sorry." Kakashi says through clenched teeth. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," Iruka answers honestly. He would be laughing at how ridiculous the situation is if it wasn't for the look of pain on Kakashi's face. "Are you?"

"Yeah," Kakashi grits out. "Sorry."

"No," Iruka says quickly, trying to urge to him that there is no reason to apologize. Noticing Kakashi's struggle to keep his body up and weight off of Iruka's own spurs him into moving, and he scrambles out from beneath him, guiding him into sitting up on his knees.

Kakashi grimaces as he moves, and it's then that Iruka realizes what that crunch sound was. Kakashi's hand directly landed on one of the wine glasses, smashing it in the process. As Kakashi sits on his heels he holds up his hand, and embedded deep in his palm are multiple shards of glass. Blood pools in the center, and it drips over the sides and through his fingers onto the wood of Iruka's floors.

_ "Oh,"  _ Iruka breathes. Suddenly it hits him all at once.  _ The smell,  _ thick and heavy in the air, like a tangible force knocking Iruka right in the face. On reflex, Iruka slaps a hand up to his face, covering his mouth and nose. He doubles over at the sheer overwhelming intensity of the aroma. 

"I'm sorry," Kakashi says again, pulling his hand close to his chest. "Are you squeamish? I'll clean it up sorry-"

"No!" Iruka gasps out with a rough shake of his head. He swallows, trying to calm down the unsettling turning in his stomach. "It's fine, I'm fine. I'll help."

Iruka stands on shaky legs with Kakashi following suit. He has no idea what's come over him. Blood usually doesn't cause such a physical reaction, at least not anymore. He's mastered his ability to control his urges over the years, and the sight and smell of blood no longer awakens his senses like it has in the past - except for now. He can feel himself reacting, can feel his canines growing, aching to pierce skin. 

They make their way to the kitchen where Iruka pulls Kakashi over to the sink. Iruka turns on the water, and Kakashi sticks his hand beneath the flow. Blood washes down the drain, but instead of the smell getting weaker, it gets stronger. The splash from the water mixes in the air with droplets of blood, and the wound appears, clean and fresh and deep.

Iruka breathes deep, confused and alarmed by his body's reaction. Never has blood smelt like this before. It's so strong,  _ vibrant,  _ astounding in its uniqueness. Iruka wants...he wants…

"Ah," Kakashi lets out a sharp breath as he pulls a shard out of his palm. He drops it to the sink bed, and moves to the next. 

Iruka watches hypnotized, desperate and  _ hungry. _ He wants to grab his wrist and bring it to his mouth, wants to lick the wound open, taste the salt from his sweat and the sweet, sweet metallic twang of his blood with it. He wants to drink. He wants to  _ feed. _

"You can-" Kakashi says suddenly, and Iruka's eyes shift to his face in a frenzied panic. "-You can look away. I'm fine on my own. If you don't like blood, I understand."

_ Oh. _ Iruka's heart slams in his chest with a mix of relief and disappointment at the same time. He shakes his head slowly, eyes falling back to the deep wound, now glass free.

"It's not that," Iruka says, speaking quietly in an attempt to not open his mouth. He knows his fangs are visible now. He can feel his gums throbbing. He fights not to bite into his own lip. "Is it painful?"

Kakashi shakes his head, and then shuts the water off, satisfied with the level of cleanliness. With the flow of water gone it continues to bleed, and once again pools in his palm. 

Iruka gulps. "We should- we should wrap that up."

Kakashi nods, holding his hand out awkwardly. Blood loss isn't really something Iruka has to think about much, so he doesn't typically keep bandages in his home. It takes him a brief moment to think properly, before quickly turning to grab some paper towels. He yanks a few sheets off the roll and tugs Kakashi's wrist towards him, pressing the wadded up tissue into his palm.

"I'm sorry I don't think I have anything proper-" Iruka says, a slight quiver in his voice.

"That's ok," Kakashi cuts him off. His voice is even and calm in contrast, not showing any pain. "I heal fast. It won't be a problem."

Iruka nods unthinkingly. The blood seeps through the napkin. Iruka can feel the wetness of it against his fingertips. It's  _ electrifying. _

"Bit of a turnoff, huh?" Kakashi chuckles under his breath. He looks at Iruka with modest eyes, hesitant once more.

_ God if only you knew, _ Iruka thinks. He's never been more turned on in his fucking life. He thinks he still has a fucking hard on for christ sake. He feels almost delirious with it. Even looking down at Kakashi's hand with the beautiful bloom of red staining the white paper has his vision blurring. He can't focus, he can't think. Before he can stop himself, he lifts his fingers to his lips, and even just the faint amount they picked up through the material of the napkin is enough. It's overpowering, the taste bursts through Iruka like a hurricane. It rolls through his body, punching him in the stomach and moving through his arms, down his spine. It's a rush that is almost  _ painful _ with how fucking incredible it feels. He feels like he's high.

Abruptly, he shoves Kakashi back. Roughly knocking the other man out of arms reach, and throws his hand back up over his mouth. He hunches over, stomach lurching. 

_ This is not human blood. _

Iruka has never tasted anything like this before. Even just that small taste was enough to practically knock him on his ass. That is absolutely unheard of. Iruka doesn't know what to make of it. His mind races in a panic, trying to think of any logical explanation but there is none.

"Iruka," Kakashi takes a tentative step forward, worried. "Are you-"

"Stay back!" Iruka gasps out, hand still over his mouth. His other hand fumbles behind him on the kitchen counter as he struggles to back away with nowhere to go. 

In his frazzled mind things start to fall into place, and suddenly he has the instinct to  _ run _ . This is why he had such a hard time reading Kakashi. This is the barrier blocking Iruka. This was what those cards were warning him of.

_ Two of Wands. Death. _

Those weren't for Kakashi. Those were for  _ him.  _

Kakashi is not human.

"What are you?" Iruka sputters, dropping his hand and looking at the other man crazed, still hunched over and desperately gripping the counter like it will keep him from falling. His hair falls in his eyes, but he can still see the way Kakashi's face shifts from concern to realization to panic.  _ So he's right. _

"What are you!?" Iruka repeats, louder, his distress rising with every passing second. "Why are you here!? Who sent you!?"

Kakashi holds both hands up in defense, wide eyes looking confused now. "What? No one sent me-"

"Why are you here?!" Iruka yells again, and he does it with such unrestrained anger this time that he straightens his back, facing Kakashi head on, his hair flowing with the rushed movement and out of his face, no longer acting as a curtain between them.

He sees it when Kakashi notices. It happens in slow motion. When Kakashi's eyes fall down to his mouth as he yells, tracking the movement of his lips spreading over fanged teeth. Iruka quickly snaps his mouth shut, but it's too late. Kakashi looks back to his eyes, stunned.

"Iruka-" 

He takes half a step forward, but Iruka is quick and ready for it. His senses are heightened as he fears for his life, and he moves faster than lightning reaching behind him, quickly jerking open a kitchen drawer. He pulls out a knife, and flips it on Kakashi, steadily pointing it in his direction.

"I said stay back!" He yells, tip of the blade just an inch from Kakashi's nose.

Kakashi stops dead, hands still raised in surrender. Blood trickles from his palm down his wrist and into his shirt sleeve. Iruka can still smell it, and it's still driving him fucking mad. He breathes deep through his nose, trying to calm his senses. 

Kakashi takes a small step back. He opens his mouth as if to say something but nothing comes out. He takes another step back. "Iruka I-"

"Leave," Iruka cuts him off. "Get the fuck out before I kill you."

He keeps the blade held high as he watches Kakashi slowly step away. The other man nods only once, and continues to keep his hands where Iruka can see them before he reaches the door. With one last look in Iruka's direction, he leaves, saying nothing else.

Once he's gone, Iruka lets the knife fall from his grip. It hits the floor with a clang, and Iruka falls soon after. He collapses beneath himself, dry heaving on the kitchen floor, the scent of Kakashi's blood still thick in the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Endless thanks to ladyxxdaydream for once again beta reading, and thank you so so much for anyone taking the time to read, kudo, and comment. It means so much. Thank you! Final chapter will be next...


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so so sorry this took me so long lol i ended up re-writing it so oops haha..anyway, please enjoy! thank you!

Once again, Kakashi finds himself running. 

_"Leave...before I kill you."_

He should have known better. He should have known things would turn out the same way they always do. With someone trying to kill him.

_"What are you?"_

The image of Iruka's panicked face is fresh in his mind. The way he looked at Kakashi so afraid, disgusted, like he was going to be _sick._

Kakashi blinks against the cool bite of the air stinging his face as he runs, trying to make it back to the cabin as fast as possible. His head pounds in time with each step he takes, boots slamming into the earth with rough heavy thuds. The sound fills the late night air, mixing with his own harsh breathing. He doesn't even realize he's doing it, but he can't stop the rapid intakes of breath, his chest heaving, as he forces his body to move faster and faster.

He needs to get back to the cabin. He doesn't want to be here, out in the open like this. He wants to change. He doesn't want to be human. He hates it. He hates feeling like this. These stupid fucking human emotions and _fuck_ it isn't fair.

_He's a monster._

He's a monster and nothing else. He's a monster and Iruka could tell. 

Iruka could tell. 

He still doesn't understand it. He doesn't know what happened. Everything happened so quickly. One minute they were kissing and the next there was a knife two inches from his face.

He thought things were going well. Iruka was on top of him, lips on his, tongue diving down his throat and it was _incredible._ Kakashi was lost in it, like he couldn't even control himself. Once Iruka gave him the go ahead, it was like a switch had gone off, and he couldn't hold back, couldn't think. He just acted on instinct, moving with his body and trying desperately to get _more._

What a fool he was to think he could have that. To think he could have Iruka. Of course everything would go to shit. Of course he would get found out.

Iruka found him out. Somehow, Iruka knew.

It makes no sense. Kakashi shakes his head as he runs, as if he could shake the image out of his brain. He can still see it. Still picture Iruka clearly, yelling at him, screaming at him, teeth bared with long sharp fangs.

_No._

He was seeing things. He had to be. There's no way he could be...

When he makes it into the cabin, he quickly shuts the door and tears off his clothes. He doesn't want to talk. He ignores the pitter patter of paws that greet him, and shifts, taking his wolf form as a way of hiding.

The dogs stare at him in confusion, exchanging concerned looks. He continues to ignore them, and leaves again, heading to the woods. He wants to hunt. To just do something, anything, to get his mind off things. He'll hunt tonight, and they'll leave tomorrow. He can't stay here. No matter how much he wants to. No matter how many questions he has.

_"What are you?"_

Kakashi wants to ask Iruka the same thing. Is it possible that Iruka is like him? No...he would have smelled that on him right away. He would have been able to tell, but instead Iruka smelt like nothing. It was only when they were on top of each other that Kakashi could finally pick up his scent, as faint as it was. Kakashi had never experienced something like that before with a human. _A human._

He stays out all night, grateful for his pack not following and respecting his wish to be alone, and spends the night hours exploring the woods. He marks his tracks, committing the lay of the land to memory so he can put it on his map later, and hunts. He has to make sure his pack is good and fed before they leave tomorrow. They'll head west, and it will be a long journey.

By the time he makes it back to the cabin the sun is just beginning to rise and his white muzzle is stained with blood. Three dead rabbits hang from his jaw. It's not enough, but it will do.

He’s no more than twenty feet away from the door when he spots him. Iruka. Appearing seemingly out of nowhere, standing right in front of the entrance to the cabin.

Kakashi stops cold. He drops the rabbits from his teeth, stunned. _Why is he here? How did he find him?_

For a moment, all they do is stare at each other. Despite the distance he can see Iruka's eyes looking directly at him. The same way they always do, gaze so strong and intense that it's like he is looking right through his very soul. It's alarming, because Kakashi is still in his wolf form. He can't know...

It's Iruka who speaks first, breaking the silence of the dusk morning.

"Well," he starts, voice even as he calls out between them. "Aren't you going to say something?"

Kakashi blinks. _Uh._

"It's you right?" Iruka says, and he's standing tight and rigged, like maybe he's nervous, or like he's expecting a fight. "Can you speak?"

In response, Kakashi simply sits. A sign to Iruka that he is not violent, and that he has no intention of attacking. He doesn't want to hurt Iruka. He just wants to be left alone. If Iruka attacks him first however, he will have no choice but to do whatever he has to to protect his pack. 

"Kakashi." Iruka finally says, short and definite. Making sure there is no misunderstanding. Making sure Kakashi knows that _he knows._

Kakashi drops his front paws, laying down completely. He stares at Iruka, raising his nose and waiting. He will not approach him until he knows it's safe. 

Iruka's shoulders sag. His eyes scan Kakashi's form. He purses his lips before nodding to himself.

"You can't speak." He says, sounding troubled. "Ok. Well. I want to talk. So...do whatever it is that you do so we can do that."

Kakashi tilts his head. 

Iruka groans, wiping a hand over his face in exasperation. "C'mon. I'm sorry I freaked out ok? Please can we talk?"

If Kakashi could laugh he would. He can't believe this guy. He waves a knife in his face, follows him home, and then tries to boss him around? _Seriously?_ Kakashi has never met someone so confusing before.

Iruka crosses his arms, and it's like a challenge, like he's saying _I am not moving._ Under his breath he mumbles, "I swear if I am talking to an actual fucking dog right now I will-"

It's at that point that Kakashi decides to throw him a bone and stands. Iruka's eyes widen at the movement, and he drops his arms as Kakashi takes slow steps forward. 

Closer to Iruka, his size becomes much more apparent. It's been a while since he's been this close to a human in his wolf form, and he forgot how tiny they could be. Standing on all fours he reaches above Iruka's waist. Iruka takes a step back, back hitting the door to the cabin.

Kakashi jerks his head, signaling him to get out of the way, and Iruka quickly scrambles to listen, muttering an apology.

It's impossible for him to completely let his guard down, but in this moment he believes Iruka is being genuine. He is unarmed, Kakashi can tell because he's underdressed even for the cold weather, wearing nothing but a thin cropped crew neck and jeans. His hands are visible and his boots are laced tight up his calf. If he had a weapon, he would have no place to hide it.

Kakashi leads him inside, pushing the door open and leaving it open for Iruka to follow. The dogs rise up to meet him, all in a panic, rushing to protect against the sudden guest. They probably couldn't sense Iruka's presence before, considering his lack of smell, so seeing him sends off massive red flags. Kakashi signals for them to stand down, and then turns back to Iruka, who hesitates in the doorway.

Iruka stands stiff and guarded, eyeing the dogs nervously. "Um-"

Kakashi jerks his head again, trying to tell him to come inside. He meets his eyes. _They won't hurt you._

Iruka takes one step forward, shutting the door behind him softly, but moves no further. He looks to Kakashi, waiting.

"Ok," he says, and gestures to him with a vague wave of his hand. "Now what?"

Kakashi isn't sure exactly. He has to change but...if he does…

He shakes his head, snorting a breath of air through his nose. Iruka furrows his brow, confused.

"What?" Iruka asks, trying to understand. Kakashi tries shaking his head again. 

"You want me to?" Iruka points behind himself, turning. "You want me to look away?"

Kakashi nods. Iruka shrugs, but listens, and turns so he is facing the door. It's more than just following a request. It's a sign of trust. He's showing his back to Kakashi. Vulnerable. He is not here to hurt him.

With Iruka's gaze no longer on him, he shifts, taking on his human form once more. Quickly, he rushes to collect his pants which he threw on the floor earlier, and tugs them on.

"You can look now," he speaks for the first time, clearing his throat as he does.

Iruka turns, and his eyes instantly fall to his hands where they are busy still buttoning his jeans. They then travel upwards, over his exposed chest.

He quirks an eyebrow. "So that's why you didn't want me to look? You're naked when you shift?"

Kakashi rolls his eyes. "Be a little weird for a wolf to be running around with pants on wouldn't it?"

Iruka smiles, and it's odd how quickly they can fall back into this type of banter, like this is a totally normal human experience - except there's nothing human about it at all.

"I suppose it would blow your cover, yeah." He agrees, a playful tone in his voice.

"How'd you find me?" Kakashi asks, deciding to get right to the point.

Iruka crosses his arms, shrugging one shoulder. "Konan."

Kakashi frowns. "Your cat?"

"My familiar. She told me to come talk to you," he says simply, like it actually explains anything.

"Huh?" Kakashi responds dumbly.

As a way of answering, Iruka turns back towards the wall, stepping over to the window. He puts his hand to the sill, laying a finger flat. From the edge crawls a small black spider. Iruka turns his hand as it crawls up his finger, until it's resting in his palm.

Kakashi takes a step back as Iruka holds the thing up to him. 

"Konan." He says, presenting her.

"Huh?!" Kakashi says again, louder this time, eyeing the little black speck in his hand like it could attack at any moment. He never really was a fan of bugs.

Iruka gives him a chastising look, and then bends down to place the spider on the floor. In a quick whirlwind the form is changing, a black mass growing and morphing, before suddenly there is a cat sitting there in its place.

All at once the dogs start barking furiously, leaping up and towards the new intruder, startled and ready to attack. Konan hisses, hair standing up straight on her back.

"Alright, alright!" Kakashi yells over the barking. He rushes to the door, pulling it open roughly. "Out! Let me handle this, ok? Get out!"

The dogs deflate under his stern voice, slowly and tentatively ushering themselves out. 

"There's food out there," he tells them before closing the door. "I'll be fine. Stay close."

When he turns to face Iruka, the other man is laughing.

"What's so funny?" He asks, eyeing the cat suspiciously.

"Nothing," Iruka says, still chuckling. "They're cute. Are they yours?"

"Mine?" Kakashi repeats, taking a minute to understand his meaning. "They're my pack. I found them."

Iruka simply nods. He gestures to the cat at his feet. "Konan followed you. She, um, she told me I made a mistake. And so I wanted to apologize."

Kakashi blinks, confused by everything happening all at once. "She told you…? You said she's a familiar? What's that?"

"My companion," Iruka answers with a lazy shrug. "She's a shapeshifter. All vampires have one."

As if to prove his point, the cat shifts again, this time taking the shape of a small moth, and flies off towards the ceiling, out of sight.

Kakashi stares, stunned, feeling as if the wind has been completely knocked out of him. He can't help it when a nervous laugh slips past his lips. "Are you saying-"

"Yes." Iruka answers with zero hesitation, short and stoic. 

Kakashi drags a hand through his hair, not believing what he's hearing. "So you-"

"What? You need more proof?" Iruka says, and this time when he speaks Kakashi is able to spot the flash of white teeth beyond his lips, longer and sharper than normal. His eyes fall down and stare at them, and Iruka smirks.

_Fangs._ He did see them earlier. There they are again, large and sharp, bigger than Kakashi's own. Probably closer to what his teeth look like when he's in his wolf form. They look absolutely jarring inside the mouth of what otherwise looks like that of a human. Kakashi gulps.

"You're a vampire," he says, breathless in wonder.

Iruka's smirk grows. "And you're a werewolf."

If it wasn't for the clear evidence staring him right in the face, Kakashi wouldn't believe it.

"Well, shit." He mumbles.

"Yeah." Iruka continues. "I had heard rumors of your kind of course, but never seen anything for myself. When I smelled your blood I-"

"Wait," Kakashi cuts him off. _Smell._ It all fucking makes sense now. He laughs. "You could smell my blood."

Iruka looks at him perplexed. "When you cut yourself, yeah. I could tell it wasn't human so I just panicked. I thought-"

He stops talking when Kakashi's laugh continues. Kakashi can't stop himself. He keeps laughing. _Smell._ Of course. He should have fucking known. He's a fucking moron.

Iruka furrows his brow, puzzled by his burst of hysterics. "What are you laughing at?"

"It's just," Kakashi gestures at him wildly, huffing out a final laugh. "God, you smelt so weird and I couldn't figure out why but, of course! It's so obvious!"

Iruka's face contorts in indignation. "Excuse me? I smell weird?"

"No, no, no!" Kakashi rushes, holding his hands up in defense. "I didn't mean it like that. I just mean you don't smell like a human is all."

That doesn't seem to make Iruka feel better.

"No, listen," Kakashi continues, taking a step forward. "Humans all have a distinct scent. Unique to them. Everyone is different. I can recognize someone by their scent alone. But you. It's weird. You hardly smell like anything at all. It's like...muted. Quiet. Even up close I can only get a little bit of it."

Iruka's face softens at that explanation. "Oh. So like how humans all taste different."

Kakashi's eyebrows raise. "Um. I guess?"

Iruka smirks. "Don't tell me there's no truth to all the folktales about werewolves? You don't go around hunting humans?"

"No." Kakashi says flatly, not humored. "It's the other way around actually."

Iruka gets the message, and his smile falls. He averts his eyes. "I'm sorry I threatened to kill you."

"It's fine." Kakashi answers. He can't believe that was only just hours ago. It already feels like it's been a lifetime since he was standing in Iruka's kitchen with a knife at his throat. This whole conversation has completely thrown him through a loop. _Fucking vampires._ Who would have thought?

Iruka ducks his head again, and tucks a piece of hair behind his ear when it falls forward. "Well. Anyway. I just wanted to say that, so, that's it I guess. I'll leave you alone now-"

"No," Kakashi says immediately, taking another step forward as if to stop him from leaving. "I mean you don't have to. You can stay. Um, the sun..."

He trails off, unsure. Is it true that vampires can't be in sunlight? He doesn't want to assume, but the sun is beginning to rise, and he doesn't want to cast him out if it's harmful.

Iruka looks out the window, biting his lip in uncertainty. "I think I'll be ok."

"Oh, ok." Kakashi says, not wanting to push him. He doesn't want him to leave. He wants him to stay. For no reason other than just to talk, because the whole situation still feels surreal. What is he supposed to do with this information now? Just go on about his life knowing vampires exist and just...that's it? Never talk to Iruka again? That doesn't feel right.

Slowly Iruka turns his head back towards Kakashi. He eyes him hesitantly. "I should probably be safe though and stay here. Just in case."

His words take a minute to register in Kakashi's brain, and then quickly he's nodding. "Yes, I mean yeah, sure."

"Just to be safe," Iruka adds for good measure.

"Of course," Kakashi agrees, smile forming. 

Iruka nods, pursing his lips. An awkward moment passes as he looks around the cabin, before eyes falling back on Kakashi, trailing down his front.

"Oh," Kakashi says suddenly, face heating up. He looks down at himself, realizing that he's still shirtless. "I should uh- put a shirt on-"

He heads towards the couch, reaching to grab his discarded t-shirt when Iruka takes a step forward, grabbing a hold of his wrist and stopping him. 

"Kakashi," he says, eyes downcast, almost like he's afraid to look at Kakashi now. "Thank you. For letting me stay."

Kakashi nods dumbly, surprised by the sudden severity in his voice. Iruka's hand is still loose around his wrist, and his arm hangs stretched between them. "Sure. It's not a problem."

"Most people would probably kick me out if they found out the truth about me," he continues, still not meeting Kakashi's eyes. "I could kill you, you know?"

It didn't even cross his mind, if he's being honest. If anything, since discovering who he truly is it's only made him trust him more. He knows what it's like to have the label of a killer without actually being one. The way Iruka looks right now, nervous, _scared_ , like he's used to being cast out, tells him that Iruka isn't one either. They are two sides of the same coin, sharing the same burden.

"I could say the same to you," he decides to say in return, flashing a small smile. 

A smug look forms on Iruka’s face. "You really think so?"

"Well sure," Kakashi answers, tone lifting to a playful one. "I'm much bigger than you."

"You are not," Iruka scoffs, making a show of eyeing his body and tugging on his arm as he does, like putting him on display. "I could totally take you."

Kakashi feels his face heat up under his gaze. It's true Iruka is cut with muscle, but Kakashi isn't a slacker either, even if not quite as lean. "In this body maybe. Not if I go wolf on you."

"Oh really?" Iruka teases. He uses the leverage he has on Kakashi's arm to pull him closer, until they are standing just an inch apart. "You were pretty big I guess."

Kakashi goes to him easily, allowing himself to be pulled, and rests a hand on Iruka's hip. His other arm is still in Iruka's grip, and Iruka shifts, moving his hand to slip into Kakashi's own. He laces their fingers together without a thought, easy.

This close again he's able to smell him more, just like before when they were kissing. It was intoxicating then and it is again now. The cool earth tones he picked up earlier are stronger, and the floral scent deeper. He smells like black roses, blooming in the winter just after snowfall, dusted with white. A life, birthed out of death. Dark but delicate, fitting for the man always dressed in black. The fact that it's muted only makes Kakashi want it more, never wanting to leave Iruka’s presence so he can keep smelling it. He likes it, like a little secret treat that only he gets to know about.

"Any other part of you big?" Iruka continues to taunt. "Or is it just the wolf part?"

"Ahhaha," Kakashi laughs nervously. He ducks his head, not wanting Iruka to see his reddened face. “That’s a secret.”

Iruka sticks his bottom lip out in a painfully adorable pout. “A secret? Haven’t we moved past keeping secrets?”

It’s a valid point. One that makes his chest bloom with a startling delight. _No secrets._ It’s been a long time since he’s been able to say that. The realization is nice, comforting actually.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he says, and then closes the gap between them, kissing him.

They fall easily into step, starting right where they left off, like nothing even happened. No threats, no knife wielding, nothing but unhinged desire thrusted towards one another with zero restrictions. Kakashi moves to grip both of Iruka's hips, hands digging into his sides and pulling their pelvises close. Iruka gasps against his lips, reaching up to dig his fingers into his hair, tugging at the strands and making Kakashi's scalp burn, igniting his senses from his head to his toes. Kakashi grips him tighter, nipping at his lip before breaking away, trailing kisses across his jawline and down his neck. Again he feels out of control. It's been so long, and he feels crazy with how much his needs have begun to pool inside him, reaching their limit and overflowing. He can't stop himself from pouring his all into Iruka, kissing him frantically, licking, sucking, _biting._

"Ah!" Iruka gasps. "Fuck. I know one part of you that's big- _shit."_

Kakashi pulls away, licking his lips and savoring the taste of Iruka's cool skin. "What's that?"

"Your fucking teeth dude," Iruka struggles to grit out as Kakashi gets back to work - making a valent effort to mark up Iruka's skin with harsh scrapes of teeth mixed in with soft presses of lips. "They're fucking sharp. Probably could rival my own- _ah!"_

Kakashi meets his eyes again, equipped with a grin, showing off his larger than normal canines. "Vampire doesn't like the taste of his own medicine, huh?"

"I like the taste fine," Iruka says, defiant, and uses his grip in Kakashi's hair to shove his head back down. Kakashi obeys, and continues to ravish his neck and collarbones. "Just not used to it is all."

"Never hooked up with any of your vampire buddies?" Kakashi teases, lips still pressed against skin.

"No, that's pretty impossible actually." Iruka answers, a hard edge to his voice.

Kakashi stops at the sudden serious tone, and pulls away again to look Iruka in the eye. "Really? Are you…"

He trails off, feeling stupid again. The air is thick once more, the fire of the moment snuffed out.

Iruka meets him with a steady gaze. "I'm not the only one, if that's what you're asking. I'm just not on good terms with any of the others."

"I'm sorry," Kakashi says. He presses his thumbs gently into Iruka's sides where his hands still sit on his hips, as a sign of comfort. 

"It's fine," Iruka tells him. His hands slide from Kakashi's hair down to his chest, where he lets them rest. "It's actually why I freaked out the way I did…"

He trails off, averting his eyes. 

Kakashi gives him a squeeze that he hopes is reassuring, silently encouraging him to continue.

Iruka's fingers nervously twitch against Kakashi's chest, but he keeps them there, eyes unfocused as he stares downwards. "It wouldn't be the first time someone was sent to kill me."

Kakashi takes a sharp intake of breath. With Iruka's face this close, it's impossible to miss the scar that rests across his nose and cheeks. Kakashi doesn't need to be told where it came from. "They would do that?"

"At first yeah, for a while," he answers, voice becoming less tense as he goes on. "I didn't want to do things their way, and they got mad. Eventually, they kinda forgot about me though and left me be. When I realized you weren't human, I thought maybe they were coming after me again."

Kakashi shakes his head. "No, just me. I swear."

Iruka chuckles solemnly. "I believe you, don't worry."

Kakashi grips him tighter once more, pressing their hips even closer. "Be kinda fucked up if I lured you into bed just to kill you."

"Ok you didn't _lure_ me anywhere," Iruka says with a roll of his eyes. "I _let_ you come into my home. And that's exactly the type of shit that made me break the vampire code."

Kakashi wrinkles his brow. "Vampire code?"

"You kill everyone you drink from," Iruka answers with a sigh. "Most vampires trick people into submitting to them, and then they feed from them until they're dead. I didn't- I didn't like that."

"They banished you because you're not a murderer?" Kakashi asks incredulously. "That's fucked up."

"They think there's no other solution," Iruka says, dejectedly. "If you leave them alive they have a chance of remembering, and then they'll come after us all. They think I put them at risk, so they've wanted me dead for a while."

_Ah._ Kakashi is very much familiar with that fear, but still, there has to be another solution. "So, what do you do? If you don't kill?"

Iruka shrugs, once again not meeting his eye. "I get someone comfortable enough to let me in close, and then I drink from them. I just make sure to stop before it hurts them."

That seems simple enough. "That's it? It doesn't hurt at all?"

"Yeah, I mean," Iruka continues. "I drink enough to put them to sleep, and then they wake up feeling at most like they have a bad hangover with no memory of the night before. They may think they just had a wild one night stand with someone who gives mean hickies but otherwise, that's it."

_Oh._ Kakashi clears his throat. "Were you, uh, was that your plan with me?"

Iruka looks back at him with a soft smile. "No. I actually liked you."

"Liked?" Kakashi pouts.

Iruka rolls his eyes. "Ok _like._ I like you, I guess."

"Good," Kakashi says, and leans in for another kiss.

They kiss long and slow, Kakashi relishing in the feel of Iruka's lips against his own. He can't believe how easily he's fallen into step with him, how wild the whole situation is that has brought them together. He feels so incredibly out of his element, but he doesn't even care. Iruka feels so good against him that all of his anxieties are thrown completely out the window as his body goes into autopilot, searching and aching for _more._

He doubles down, slipping his tongue into Iruka's mouth, surging forward with a hurried persistence. Iruka matches him eagerly, gliding his tongue against his own and pressing his hips into his further, meeting in a tantalizing grind. Kakashi groans, and moves to cup a hand to Iruka's cheek, feverishly trying to kiss him even deeper.

It's then that Iruka suddenly pulls away with a gasp. He takes a step back, as if struck by a physical blow, hand coming to his forehead in pain.

"Iruka?" Kakashi asks, concerned. "Are you ok?"

Iruka sways on his feet, and Kakashi reaches out to steady him. "I'm fine, just...dizzy."

Kakashi's eyes scan him in a panic, trying to register the abrupt change. "Do you need to sit down?"

"I'm fine," Iruka says again through gritted teeth. "Your hand…"

_My hand?_ Kakashi looks down. His palm is still wounded, the long jagged cut still fresh, although no longer bleeding. The skin around it is red and angry, the healing process starting.

Kakashi looks back at Iruka, who has taken another step back, hand still covering his face. "Iruka, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Iruka insists, despite it clearly not being true. "I just…haven't eaten in a while. The smell…"

His voice is distant, pained. Kakashi grabs his wrist with his uninjured hand, and pulls him over to the sofa. He forces him to sit.

"You're hungry," he says, already beginning to walk away. "I can get you food-"

"No!" Iruka cuts him off, panicked. Kakashi stops short, staring down at him with wide eyes. Iruka pauses, taking a second to compose himself before swallowing roughly. "I can't eat food. It's fine, don't worry, I just need a second…"

Kakashi hesitates, and then takes a seat next to him. Hearing that he can't eat food is worrying, although he knows he probably shouldn't be surprised. "Is there something I can do to help?"

"You could wrap your hand," Iruka says with a bitter laugh. "So I can't smell it."

Kakashi looks down at his palm again. "Oh, sorry. Is it bad?"

"No," Iruka answers with a quick shake of his head. "The opposite. It's...strong. And it's been a while so..."

_He wants it._ The words go unspoken, but Kakashi understands them all the same. 

Kakashi flexes his fingers, unsure. "How long has it been?"

Iruka closes his eyes, thinking, tired. "Mm. Month and a half. Maybe two."

"How long can you go?" Kakashi asks carefully.

Iruka keeps his eyes closed, leaning into the back of the couch, and says nothing.

"Iruka." Kakashi pushes. "How long?"

Iruka licks at his dry lips. "Once a month is standard. 2 is...cutting it close. 3 is…"

"Ok," Kakashi cuts him off, getting the picture. Like wolves, he can go without food longer than a human, but even he knows not to push it. Iruka is pushing himself too much. "What do you do when you can't?"

Iruka shrugs. "Animals. If I'm desperate."

Kakashi weighs his options. He could go outside and hunt for something. The dogs most likely already ate the rabbits from earlier, so he'd need to get something else. If he's lucky, he can do it quickly, but if he's not lucky, it can take hours. The only other option would be…

"Here," he sticks his hand out, presenting the wound to Iruka. 

Iruka's eyes snap open, and he looks at Kakashi with surprise. "No, I can't-"

"Why?" Kakashi asks. "You said yourself it doesn't hurt. Just enough to make you feel better. I don't mind."

"I just-" Iruka sputters, shaking his head. "It's not right."

"I heal fast," Kakashi insists, pushing his hand forward more. "See I'm already starting to scab. I'll be fine."

To prove his point, he takes his other hand and presses his fingers into the wound, nails cutting into skin and reopening it. The amount of hunting he does in the wild leaves him beaten and bruised more times than he can count. A little cut is nothing, and if it means helping Iruka then it seems like a no brainer. It couldn't be that bad, could it?

Iruka snaps his eyes shut tight, turning his head. "Kakashi-"

"Iruka," Kakashi says, quiet but stern. "Please."

Iruka slowly reopens his eyes, shifting them between Kakashi's hand and his face. Kakashi pushes his hand towards him some more, silently urging. Gradually, Iruka reaches out, tentatively taking his wrist. His fingers are cool against Kakashi's skin, and Kakashi allows his hand to be guided closer. He watches Iruka's face, and the man pauses to give him one final look, before bringing his hand to his lips.

Kakashi's heart races in his chest as he sees a flash of white sharp fangs before they plunge into his flesh. A gasp escapes him, unable to hold back from the stinging jab of pain that follows. It's slightly awkward, with Iruka's fangs digging into the flat of his palm, and his lower teeth and lip pressing into the side of his hand, but he forces himself to remain still. Iruka's eyes go wide for a split second, before slipping closed as he lets out a muffled moan against Kakashi's flesh. Then, he rapidly brings up his other hand, using it to hold Kakashi in place and pushing his slashed palm onto his fangs even deeper, before finally starting to _su_ _ck._ Kakashi's jaw drops, feeling the wet hot heat of his tongue against his sensitive skin as he takes long deep pulls. It's a striking contrast between the sharp jabs of teeth, and it sends a jolt right through him. He takes deep even breaths in time with the steady throbbing as his blood pulses out of him, trying to calm himself down.

The feeling is unreal. It isn't like a cut, where blood just spills out of you, it's being _pulled_ out, _forced_ out. Kakashi can feel it through his whole body, rushing through him in the most bizarre sensation he has ever experienced. He can feel as his veins struggle against the pull, pumping his blood faster in an attempt to keep up. All his nerves tingle with it, as if the blood inside him is spinning in a whirlwind, a tornado crashing through him, fighting to reach the single pinpoint of where Iruka pierces skin. It _hurts,_ but it feels fucking _good._ His breath quickens, and he fights to remain still, his body contorting against his will in an alarming panic as a euphoric pain wrecks through him. 

_"Iruka,"_ he gasps, unable to stop himself. He bites his lip, trying to stop himself from saying more.

Iruka eyes flick up to meet his own, and it's enough to make Kakashi feel like he's going _insane._ His eyes are darker than ever, piercing into him sharper than the fangs themselves, looking directly through him with a hunger that sends a chill down Kakashi's spine. He shivers with it, overwhelmed, and has to look away, chest heaving.

With a sickening squelch, Iruka finally pulls away, the sound barely audible over Iruka's own heavy breathing as he gasps for air. Kakashi falls back into the couch, trying to catch his own breath. He allows his hand to fall as Iruka lets go, and it rests in the other man's lap as they both recover. After a moment Kakashi feels him shift, and opens his eyes just in time to see him tug his shirt off. He looks better than before, like he has more color to him, and his beautiful tan skin practically glows in the dimly lit cabin. He looks far too nice to be in such a dingy place. Kakashi is almost embarrassed.

"How are you feeling?" Iruka asks, voice hoarse, wrapping his shirt around Kakashi's hand in a makeshift bandage. When he looks to Kakashi, his hair falls away from his face, and his lips are stained with a dark red, like a rich coat of the most luxurious lipstick. Kakashi's mouth drops in silent awe at the sight. _Beautiful._

"Kakashi," Iruka speaks again when he doesn't answer. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Kakashi finally manages to croak out. _Incredible_ actually. He feels like he just came. He tries to lift his hand, attempting to cup Iruka's cheek, but the shirt makes it impossible, so he ends up just leaving it hovering awkwardly. "How are you?"

Iruka takes hold of his hand, bringing it back down to his lap. "Better now. Thank you."

Kakashi sends him a tired smile. "Was it ok?"

Iruka pauses and licks his lips, making Kakashi sad to see the dark tint gone from them. "Yes."

His voice is soft and airy, and that makes Kakashi's smile grow. "You smell like roses."

Iruka furrows his brow at the randomness of his statement. "What?"

"Everyone is different," Kakashi elaborates. He sits up on the couch, forcing his body to move. "You smell like the night forest air in winter, like a dark rose blooming up from cold soil, snow falling on its petals."

"Oh," Iruka breathes, eyes scanning Kakashi's face as he moves closer. 

"What about me?" He asks unthinkingly, still feeling loopy.

Iruka takes a steady breath, licking his lips once more. His eyes look glazed. "You taste like fire. Like a burning, hot and sharp like...electricity, a bolt of lightning. Like millions of little stinging needles."

Kakashi huffs a laugh. "God, that sounds awful."

"No," Iruka urges with a shake of his head. "No, it-"

He stops himself, looking away, ashamed.

Kakashi leans in closer, invading Iruka's space as much as he can without actually sitting on his lap. He rests his forehead against his. "Tell me."

Iruka takes another breath, his voice comes out shaky when he speaks next. "It was amazing. I liked it."

"I liked giving it to you," Kakashi responds, not even aware of his own words anymore.

_"Fuck,_ Kakashi," Iruka says, strained. "Don't say things like that."

"Why?" Kakashi asks. "I mean it. It felt good for me too."

He drops his head, resting it on Iruka's shoulder, and presses a soft kiss against his bare collar.

Iruka places a hand on the back of his neck, fingers gently grazing the hair at his nape. "Are you tired?"

"Hm," Kakashi hums. "A little." 

Iruka laughs, and Kakashi's head shakes with the movement. "Do you wanna nap?"

"No," Kakashi answers quickly, despite eyes closing. "'M fine."

"I don't mind," Iruka tells him. He shifts as he looks around the small cabin. "There's no bed here. Where do you sleep?"

"The floor," Kakashi answers. "With the dogs."

"You're joking," Iruka says in disbelief.

Kakashi picks his head up with a grin. "It's not so bad, c'mon."

He rolls to the floor, taking Iruka with him, who squawks with a surprised laugh. They tumble together, each fighting to land on top of the other, rolling and rolling until they land in front of the unlit fireplace. It's Kakashi who gets the upper hand, and he looms over Iruka, their legs entwined, Iruka's arms wrapped around his neck.

"See?" Kakashi says with a cheeky smile. "Nice, right?"

Iruka groans. "Next time we're going back to my place."

Kakashi raises a brow. "Next time?"

In a flash Iruka's hand is suddenly in his hair, and he hooks a leg over his hip, flipping them, putting himself on top. Kakashi's back hits the floor with a _thump_ , and he looks up at Iruka, stunned.

"The dumb act isn't cute anymore," Iruka says, a no nonsense tone in his voice. "Yes, next time."

All Kakashi can do is grin, and it's enough of an invitation for Iruka, who now straddling his waist, leans down to steal Kakashi's lips with a kiss, taking his breath away. Kakashi eagerly meets him, welcoming Iruka's tongue sliding amongst his own, and struggles to keep up. He feels lightheaded, and he isn't sure if it's from the blood loss or something else, but he doesn't care. He's never felt so good in his life.

They press their bodies close, hips grinding against one another as their tongues continue their dance. Kakashi gasps into Iruka's mouth at the feeling, the rough fabric of their jeans creating a deadly type of friction between their hard cocks. Iruka's hands slide up his body, kneading at his bare flesh and alternating between teasing swipes of his thumbs over nipples and wicked scratches of nails down his sides. It's too much for Kakashi, who can't even remember the last time he was touched like this, and eventually he's unable to return the kisses, forced to do nothing but simply pant desperately in the other man's mouth. Iruka is relentless with it, Kakashi's rapid breathing only fueling him more, and he rocks his hips in a slow painful grind, their cocks meeting in languid circles, fabric pulling between them, dragging, aching.

_"I-Iruka,"_ Kakashi manages to gasp. His head falls back, hitting the floor a little too roughly as he gulps for air. Against his control, he thrusts up to meet Iruka's steady and sure movements. The fingers of his good hand scrape at the floorboards, aimlessly trying to grab onto _anything_ to ground himself. _"I-I ah!"_

"Yeah?" Iruka says, breathing into his neck, pushing against Kakashi even harder, grinding _deeper_ despite the obstruction of their clothing. 

"I'm-I-" Kakashi sputters, eyes screwed shut tight. It's been so long and he's so fucking close already. He feels absolutely crazed, drunk with it. _It's too soon._

He forces his body into moving, and he grips Iruka's hip with his good hand, fingers digging roughly into the material of his jeans and halting the other man's movements. Iruka follows his lead, shifting his hips down his thighs so their cocks are no longer in line with each other.

"What's wrong?" He asks, voice deep and silky and so fucking hot it makes Kakashi curse at himself.

"Nothing," he forces himself to answer, breathless. "I just- it's been a while."

Iruka picks his head up to look down at him, a soft smile of understanding on his face. "Ok."

Kakashi manages a small grateful nod, but before he can even register what's happening the other man is swiftly sliding down his body, fingers making quick work on the buttons of his jeans.

"Iruka!" He gasps, lifting himself up on his elbows to stare in awe.

"You didn't wanna come in your pants right?" Iruka says, like it's nothing, like it's not the most embarrassing statement in the world, and flips his hair over his shoulder, laying his chest against Kakashi's thighs. "Easy solution."

"Uh, I-" Kakashi stutters, brain short circuiting. 

As soon as Iruka gets them unbuttoned, he roughly pulls the fly open just enough to tug his cock free, exposing it to the cool air as it springs up towards his stomach, red and swollen.

"Jesus christ," Iruka mumbles. He wraps a hand around the base, making Kakashi jolt. "Are all werewolves this fucking huge or are you special?"

He tightens his grip, squeezing briefly before holding him limply again. Kakashi's head falls back once more as he struggles not to fuck his fist.

"I don't-" he bites his lip, trying to form a coherent sentence in his mind. "I don't know. Obito was bigger, and he was a full werewolf, so maybe- _ah!"_

Kakashi gasps as Iruka suddenly licks a long stripe up the underside of him, dragging his tongue over him until he reaches his slit, prodding at it before taking him into his mouth fully, wrapping his lips around his head and giving him a powerful suck that makes Kakashi see fucking _stars._

Just as suddenly though, his mouth is gone, and he pulls off him with a comically loud _pop_. He looks up at Kakashi quizzically as his fist grips him tighter, jerking off his now spit slicked cock with quick twists of his wrists.

"You're not a full werewolf?" He asks, shockingly casual.

"N-no," Kakashi stutters, hips twitching upwards against his control. Iruka's ministrations don't stop, hand working him over mercilessly. Kakashi's brain feels like mush, barely even processing the fact that Iruka is apparently trying to have a fucking conversation while torturing him. He struggles to answer him, eyes screwed shut, hardly registering his own words. "'M half human _oh fuck-_ just-just my dad was _ah!"_

"Your mom was human?" Iruka asks, before engulfing him again, sealing his lips around him in a tight viscous suction, tongue lapping up his head with teasing little flicks.

Kakashi's head lulls, and his hips stutter once more, stomach flexing as he clenches and unclenches to hold back.

"Y-yeah but if we could not talk about my mom while my dick is in your mouth that would be cool," Kakashi says in a breathless rush. 

A startled laugh bursts from Iruka, forcing Kakashi's cock to slip from his mouth, spit spraying across Kakashi's stomach in an unflattering manner.

"Sorry!" Iruka blurts, dropping his forehead to Kakashi's thigh as uncontrollable giggles continue to bubble out of him. "Oh gosh-"

"It's ok," Kakashi says, laughing with him, grateful for the chance to catch his breath. 

Iruka composes himself, stifling his laughter and taking hold of Kakashi's dick again. "Ok, sorry, no more mom talk."

He gives his lips a final lick, shooting Kakashi a playful wink, before going back at it, taking Kakashi in his mouth again.

"Oh _shit-"_ Kakashi gasps, overwhelmed once more by how fast it happens. Iruka feels like a dream, taking him so beautifully and sucking on him with long deep pulls, fist fucking whatever he can't fit into his mouth with a downright evil grip. Kakashi feels maddened by it, practically convulsing beneath him, his body unsure how to handle the intense pleasure. It's been far too long, and his heart hammers in his chest almost painfully. His head spins, delirious.

_"Iruka-"_ Kakashi gasps out. "Please, please I- I can't-"

Iruka's lips leave him once more after a particularly mean suck, and he looks up at Kakashi, fist still working him over with a steady grip.

"You can," he says, hand slick with spit and moving at an unreal pace, flicking his wrist with a twist every time he reaches his head. "C'mon Kakashi, I got you. C'mon, come for me."

_"Iruka-!"_ Kakashi's vision goes white as he does on Iruka's command, come making a mess over Iruka's fingers until the other man wraps his lips around him once more, drinking whatever is left and milking Kakashi dry.

Kakashi's voice catches in his throat, mouth dropped open in a silent moan as Iruka swallows around him, his throat working over Kakashi's overly sensitive cock in an absolute brutal fashion. Struggling to breathe, he gets his good hand in Iruka's hair, and without trying to be rough, _tugs_ , silently asking, begging, for Iruka to stop before he ends up giving him a damn heart attack. Iruka takes pity on him, and pulls off his cock with a sloppy string of spit stretching between them.

" _Jesus,_ c'mhere," Kakashi murmurs, pulling Iruka up his body. 

Iruka follows easily, and instantly meets him for a kiss. It's messy, with Iruka's lips still coated in his own saliva and the taste of Kakashi still heavy on his tongue. Kakashi pants against him, dizzy.

"Good?" Iruka asks, lips still pressed against his.

It's such an insane question, Kakashi can't even begin to think how to answer it. He wants to tell him _holy shit yes amazing incredible,_ he wants to tell him anything, something, maybe even something substantial and _meaningful_ but the words don't come. Instead, all he can do is keep kissing him, holding Iruka close and locking their lips together like he's fucking frantic for it.

Iruka just smiles against him, welcoming the onslaught of his tongue. Kakashi doesn't even care that he's moving without a care, sloppily meeting Iruka with a crazed passion that he can't control. The smell of himself is stronger than that of Iruka's own now, and smelling himself, mixed with the faint fragrance of Iruka, spurs him into moving despite how fucking exhausted he is from everything. He so desperately wants to keep tasting him, any part of him, his lips, his skin, his cock, he doesn't care, he feels fucking _stupid_ for it.

It must show, because Iruka laughs into his mouth, getting both hands in Kakashi's hair, ignoring the mess on his fingers, and holding him still. He playfully nips at his lower lip, making Kakashi gasp.

It's gentle, unlike the piercing bite from earlier into his injured hand, and it's almost alarming to think it's coming from the same set of teeth.

"Iruka-" Kakashi pants out, curiosity getting the best of him. "Your- your teeth."

Iruka pulls away. "Yes?"

Kakashi's eyes flick over his face, looking from his eyes, to his lips, trying to track the white flash of teeth.

"What happens to them?" He asks, brain too foggy to even think about beating around the bush.

Iruka smiles, teeth looking normal. "They only grow when I'm feeding."

"Oh," Kakashi says dumbly, still breathing heavy. He guesses that makes sense.

But then Iruka's grin is spreading, and with it the fangs appear, suddenly large and commanding, terrifying in their size and sharp pointed edge. 

"Or, whenever I want them to," he adds devilishly.

Kakashi's eyes go wide. His mouth falls open in awe.

"Why?" Iruka taunts. "Did you miss them?"

Kakashi can't keep his eyes off them. He's not stupid, he knows his own teeth are a little different than that of a human, but this is incomparable, this is different. At their full size, they are larger than his own, and much more intimidating. Again, he feels like he's looking into the mouth of a wolf without it actually being a wolf. Instead, encased around them, is a beautiful stunning man. It makes Iruka even more breathtaking.

"I-" Kakashi stutters, unsure how to answer. 

Iruka wipes the stupid look off his face with a kiss, this time short and sweet, their teeth briefly clanking together, before pulling back to grin at him again. "They're not very good for sucking cock, but they're good for some other things."

Kakashi takes a deep inhale at the mention of that, his mind running wild with the possibilities. Iruka moves a hand to his cheek, trailing a finger down the curve of it until it reaches his plump lower lip.

"I like yours too," Iruka tells him, a teasing edge to his voice. "They're cute. Sharp. Not enough to kill, but enough to break skin. Small enough I bet you can still fit a cock in your mouth easily. Can you?"

_Yes._ Kakashi wants to show him. It's been years but he doesn't care. He's sure he can do it, and for Iruka he desperately wants to do a good job. He forces his lethargic body into action, flipping them over so that Kakashi lays on top. He does his best to ignore the awkwardness of his bundled hand, and uses it to prop his body up as he trails kisses down Iruka's neck. His other hand travels down his side, feeling his toned body for the first time, skin on skin. 

Iruka laughs beneath him, welcoming the change, and Kakashi hurriedly keeps kissing down his chest with messy and clumsy movements. He would be embarrassed if he wasn't so turned on, desperate to touch Iruka everywhere and to feel every inch of his skin. Iruka's clean fingers thread through his hair, and it sends a shiver down his spine. He gives him wet kisses down his abs, tongue sliding between muscles, the taste and smell of him growing and clouding Kakashi's mind more and more. When he reaches Iruka's navel, he can't control himself, and he buries his face into his stomach, rubbing his nose against him affectionately, breathing deep.

"Kakashi," Iruka lets out a breathy laugh, back arching at the touch. He tugs on his hair, making Kakashi mewl.

It doesn't make him stop though, and he continues to nuzzle his face against Iruka's stomach, lost in the feeling of him, his own sluggishness making his thoughts foggy. He doesn't even realize when his movements have slowed, caught up in the sensation of Iruka all around him - his touch, his smell, all too hypnotizing - and it's not long until he is simply just resting his head on Iruka's stomach, like his abs are his own personal pillow. Iruka gently cards his fingers through his hair, unbothered. The delicate touch soothes him, his breath evening out.

"Go to sleep," he hears Iruka say, his eyes already falling shut, and before he even realizes it, he is.  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well once again i lied and if youve followed my fics before then you know im a liar lmao anyway this is clearly not the last chapter. if you noticed instead of the usual kakashi pov/iruka pov it's only kakashi this time, so next will be iruka. i decided to split it up simply because of how lengthy this became. then after that there will be a short epilogue. thank you so much for reading and thank you for your patience! and again many thanks to ladyxxdaydream for beta reading.


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